The Guru’s Local/National NCAAW RoundUp: No. 1 UConn Second Half Surge Spoils ‘Nova Upset Bid; La Salle Stuns A-10 Leader Rhode Island While Saint Joseph’s Handles Duquesne

 By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

VILLANOVA – When it comes to beating No. 1 and defending NCAA champion UConn, the gold standard of collegiate women’s basketball, Villanova has been involved in two of the upsets in history of the Huskies – in 2003 when the Wildcats ended a  then-Division I record 70 straight win streak at the Big East championship at Rutgers and four seasons ago 72-69 on Feb. 9, 2022 on UConn’s home court when Hall of Fame coach Geno Auriemma’s squad was dealing  with a slew of injuries causing many program streak-setting records to come to a close.

Playing UConn in Big East competition for the second time this season after getting blasted up at Gampel Pavilion last month in Storrs, the Villanova faithful wondered here Wednesday night at the half at Finneran Pavilion with the Wildcats holding a 40-37 lead whether they should dare to dream that perhaps upset No. 3 was obtainable, especially since it was the first time all season the unbeaten Huskies (28-0, 17-0) trailed at the end  of two periods.

The answer came quick enough started by a score from UConn graduate Azzi Fudd, potentially the number one pick by the WNBA Dallas Wings in April, which would pair her with reigning rookie of the year and former teammate Paige Bueckers and former Villanova all-timer Maddy Siegriest.

Ten minutes later, even with sophomore Sarah Strong on the bench with her fourth foul, the visitors outscored the Wildcats 26-12 and went on to an 83-69 victory, ending a six-game win streak by the home folks. (21-6, 14-4).

Matters didn’t help any with Villanova, traditionally one of the top ball handlers in the nation, committing 26 turnovers leading to a dominating 28-12 Huskies advantage in transition.

Seventeen of the Wildcats miscues came in the first half leading coach Denise Dillon to note to her players how much better the lead might beat if they had been able to get  more shots off.

Fudd finished with 25 points, Strong, who effected the game when she returned from the bench, had 21 points and 12 boards, while Ashlynn Shade had 13 points.

Villanova sophomore sensation Jasmine Bascoe, who played much better here than in the first game with UConn, had 26 points and nine boards with seven assists, and Denae Carter had a career-best 21 points.

“If it weren’t for our Fudd and Strong, Bascoe would be the best  player in the league,” Auriemma said, also noting it’s near the end of a grueling regular season with the  team a little banged up, and possibly the flue might be going around  his squad.

Villanova, has two games remaining, the first, a chance to avenge a loss when Marquette visits Sunday at 3:30 p.m. on Peacock, being one of them.

The other game sees the Wildcats finish up at Seton Hall in South Orange, N.J., next Thursday. They are currently up 1.5 games ahead of Seton Hall in second with the tiebreaker and at worst will finish third.

The improved play was something for Villanova to hang its hat on in fighting for a potential at-large bid to the NCAA tournament to end a three-season drought.

“We know we have to fight  for all four quarters,” Carter said. “Just try to keep the energy going, that momentum going. I think we took some plays off, but next  time we will work harder keeping that fight.”

If Villanova advances in the tournament, no matter from the second or third  seed, the Wildcats couldn’t see UConn again until the title round.

“Give them credit,” Dillon said of the opposition. “They stuck to their game plan. I think we let up on what we needed to do, the focus and  attention on the defensive end and rebound the basketball, just miss a possession here or there, they are  going to take advantage, and that’s what happened.”

The Huskies have won 44 straight games since a late season loss at Tennessee last season and 64 straight in conference competition.

Auriemma thought there was some value moving forward having used a different mix during the game with Strong in unusual foul trouble.

“The lineup we had out there wasn’t exactly the lineup we have often,” he said. “It’s nice to know that when you do need it, you’ve been in that situation. It’s a great learning experience for your team.”

Off the first half, Dillon bemoaned what might have been with a better second half.

“Overall disappointment we didn’t sustain the momentum we had and making it a possession game as we had wanted,” she said. “UConn got the best of us in that second half.”

This week is the 621st consecutive one UConn has been ranked in The AP women’s poll and on Monday Auriemma tied retired Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer for most coaching appearances in the poll with 654 on week No. 900 in the 50th anniversary season.

Chaos Strikes the A-10 Led by Huge La Salle Upset of Rhode Island

Just as the bandwagon for Rhode Island was suddenly getting crowded off the  Rams’ season success becoming the Atlantic Ten frontrunner, La Salle (15-11, 8-7) struck a potential damaging shot at home in the John E. Glaser Arena with a rally from a 14-point deficit to win 63-59 handing the opposition (23-3, 14-1) their first league loss and ending a program record 17-game win streak.

“Our players believed and executed on (defense) so well,” La Salle coach Mountain MacGillivray said afterword.

“Yeah, undefeated this late in the year is tough to top,” he said when asked if he thought it’s his best win since arriving of the coaching staff of Quinnipiac’s Trish Fabbri. “But Fordham was better,” he said of a win over another Rams contingent early in his head coaching career.

Rhode Island is coached  by Tammi Reiss, the backcourt mate of South Carolina coach and Philly native Dawn Staley on the powerhouse Virginia teams in the early 1990s.

Trailing 46-39 at the outset of the fourth  quarter, La Salle launched a 10-0 run that was part of a 17-4 run across the two final quarters to take control.

Overall, the Explorers owned the final quarter 24-13.

Joan Quinn scored 21 points, shooting 8-for-12 for the winners, while Ashleigh Connor scored 15 points, with five rebounds and three assists, and Aryss Macktoon had 13 points and five rebounds.

Defensively, Lauren Patnode held URI leading scorer Brooklyn Gray to five points on nine boards.

On Sunday La Salle heads to preseason favorite Richmond (2 p.m., ESPN+), which suffered its second straight conference loss this week, the Spiders (22-6, 12-3) falling 57-54 at George Washington (14-14, 6-9) in overtime at the Revolutionaries’  Smith Center in the nation’s capital.

Gabby Reynolds, the only GWU player in double figures, scored 22 points while Broomall’s Maggie Doogan scored 14 points for Richmond.

“It’s wide open,” said Saint Joseph’s veteran coach Cindy Griffin of the league race for seeding for next month’s tournament in suburban Richmond, Va., after her Hawks (18-8, 9-6) at home in Hagan Arena won 61-46 over Duquesne (9-17, 2-13) and still held the tiebreaker in what is now a two-way deadlock with Davidson for fourth and the last double byes into the quarterfinals.

Gabby Casey shot 7-12 from the field and 3-5 from deep to collect 19 points for the home team with nine boards, a rebounding total matched by teammate Faith Stinson, who shot 5-9 from the field for 13 points.

Saint Joseph’s next is at Saint Louis on Saturday at 3 p.m. on ESPN+

Lehigh Upsets Navy

In the Patriot League, Lehigh (14-11, 10-5) at home in the Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pa., gained at 75-64 win over first-place and preseason favorite Navy (18-7, 13-2), reducing the Midshipmen to a one-game lead over Army (21-5, 12-3), which won 61-48 over visiting Loyola, Md., and host Navy Saturday at 11 a.m. on CBSSN in West Point, N.Y.

In the Lehigh game, Lily Fandre scored 21 for the host Mountain Hawks with seven boards, while Zanai Barnett-Gay had 14 points and eight rebounds with six assists for Navy.

Lehigh next visits Boston U. at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Lafayette (9-17, 5-10) fell at home 53-44 to Holy Cross (17-9, 11-4) in the Kirby Sports Center in Easton, Pa.

Teresa Kiewiet had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the host Leopards, while Meg Calahan had 15 points for the visiting Crusaders.

Lafayette on Saturday is in Bender Arena at noon on ESPN+ visiting American U.

The National Scene

In the Big Ten, No. 23 Minnesota (21-6, 12-4) continued to surge wining over host and No. 10 Ohio State (22-5, 11-4) in Columbus, the Buckeyes continuing to slide.

Sophie Hart had 18 points for the Golden Gophers who with their ninth straight win moved into fourth in front of their hosts with Mara Braun adding 18 points with nine boards.

Its Minnesota’s longest win streak in conference competition in 22 seasons.

Jaloni Cambridge had 23 points for the Buckeyes, who host Southern Cal Sunday while Minnesota hosts No. 18 Michigan State (21-6, 10-6), which in the Big Ten’s other Wednesday game easily won at home in East Lansing 104-68 over Northwestern (8-18, 2-13).

Grace VanSlooten scored 22 points for the winning Spartans. Northwestern next on Sunday plays Illinois.

In the Big 12 on Wednesday, No. 20 Texas Tech (24-4, 11-4) at home in Lubbock, pulled an 87-56 upset of No. 15 Baylor (22-6, 11-14).

Reserve Snudda Collins scored 23 points and Bailey Maupin collected 22 for the Lady Raiders while Taliah Scott and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs each scored 13 points for the visiting Bears.

Texas Tech, which snapped a long losing streak home in Lubbock to Baylor dating to Jan., 2006, next visits Colorado Saturday while Baylor the same day hosts Arizona.

TCU (24-4, 12-3) (24-4, 12-3) got 21points from Cal transfer Marta Suarez in a 72-50 win at Houston (7-19, 1-14). Olivia Miles scored 18 points while off the bench Veronica Sheffey scored 11 points.

Kyndall Hunter scored 20 for the host Cougars.

The visiting Horn Frogs host Iowa State Sunday.

Looking Ahead

On Thursday, locally, Delaware is at FIU in Florida in a Conference USA game at 11 a.m. on ESPN+ while Rider later in the day in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is at Canisius in Buffalo at 6:30 p.m. (ESPN+).

On Friday, Drexel in the only game of the day, locally, pays a visit in the Coastal Athletic Association to Hampton at 7 p.m. on FloCollege.

On Thursday in the Top 25 in the SEC, No. 3 South Carolina is at No. 25 Alabama at 8:30 p.m. on the SEC Network, which at 6:30 p.m. will air No. 11 Oklahoma at No. 24 Georgia, while at 7:30 p.m. No. 4 Texas is at Arkansas (SECN+), and at 6:30 p.m. No. 21 Tennessee hosts Texas A&M (SECN+).

 No. 7 LSU is at No. 17 Ole Miss at 9 on ESPN.

In the ACC, No. 22 North Carolina is at Virginia Tech at 6 p.m. on the ACC Network; at 7 p.m. On ESPN, No. 9 Duke in Durham, N.C. hosts NC State, while in the Big Ten, No. 13 Iowa is at Purdue at 7 p.m. on B1G+ and at 10 p.m. on the main Big Ten Network, No. 2 UCLA hosts Washington.