The Guru’s Daily March Madness Report: Villanova Readies for Texas Tech; Drexel Melts Again in WNIT; La Salle Ends Three Decade Postseason Drought; NCAA Starts Four Days Wide Coverage

 By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsgurux

Now that the women’s First Four has been halved to the surviving four, the big show gets under way across the nation but for the Philly locals it will be at day-long wait in Baton Rouge, La., on the campus of two-seed LSU (27-5) until 10-seed Villanova (25-7) plays 7-seed Texas Tech (25-7) at 8:30 p.m. (ESPNU) which will come after the host Tigers play 15-seed Jacksonville (24-8) at 6 p.m. (ESPN).

Coaches never like to look ahead until their next game if one looks back to the Wildcats’ last appearance in 2023 in the NCAA, which was in the Sweet 16 which became superstar Maddy Siegriest’s last game for ‘Nova, coach Denise Dillon’s squad that lost to underseed Miami which had upset Indiana was a game away from meeting LSU in Greenville, S.C.

In the loss to the Hurricanes the Wildcats made a big rally to briefly draw even and then fade at the finish.

Most people are calling for Villanova to pull one of the opening day upsets against a Texas Tech squad coming off a long dry spell of NCAA appearances.

The Red Raiders are coached by Krista Gerlich, a former Texas Tech teammate of Sheryl Swoopes on the 1993 national champions making it two coaches at their alma maters against each other while LSU hall of fame coach Kim Mulkey is in her home state where as a player she was on Louisiana Tech’s national champions.

We’ll be back to look at the key games for Friday in the NCAA, but a lot happening involving locals and others that occurred Wednesday and especially in the WBIT, which has no local teams, and the WNIT, which saw sadness strike Drexel and Lehigh also eliminated.

Dragons Hearts Broken Again While La Salle has WNIT Hosting Duties Monday

Just one day before a week ago in Drexel’s semifinal loss in overtime in the CAA semifinals after a turnover in the closing seconds of regulation cost a shot in the conference title, where coach Amy Mallon’s team (21-11) would still have been an underdog to eventual champion Charleston, the only debut team in this year’s NCAA field, it was nightmare city déjà vu in a WNIT opener loss 69-67 in overtime at St. Bonaventure (17-15)  in upstate New York Thursday night.

Holding a 50-42 lead going into the final period and a 10-point lead at one stretch of the second half, the Bonnies methodically caught the Dragons at 59 all with 2:22 left in regulation and neither team was able to win it or score before needing an extra minute.

The home team was able to survive Drexel’s 40-20 domination in the paint throughout ultimately with a near perfect 12-13 on the line to the Dragons’ mere 2-4.

After Laine McGurk, who had 19 points, tied it with her fifth 3-pointer with 13 seconds left it came down to the Bonnies’ Aaliyah Parker, who had all her 13 points in the second half along with 10 boards for the game, driving the lane in a crowd with nine seconds left for the game winning layup before Amaris Baker tried to get it back with a three at the buzzer that went off the rim for the final shot of her Drexel career.

Laycee Drake had a game-high 24 points for St. Bonaventure.

“Drexel is one of the most consistent mid major programs in the country,” said Saint Bonaventure coach Jim Crowley, on his second tour of duty with the program. “I have so much respect for how they do things. We did what we needed to do.”

The outcome ruined a career night off the bench for Spaniard Julia Garcia Roig, a junior out of Barcelona who had 14 points and completing her first double double with 10 assists while her seven makes were a personal best and she pulled four boards.

St. Bonnies moves to the second round 7:30 p.m. Monday night at Middle Tennessee, whose longtime legendary coach Rick Insell 21 years at his alma mater just announced his retirement to be followed by his son and associate head coach Matt.

Longtime Quinnipiac coach Tricia Sacca Fabri, a native of Delran in South Jersey, also announced her retirement after tying Fairfield for first in the MAAC and losing to the Stags in the championship.

Thursday night the Bobcats (27-6) in a WBIT opener won 71-64 at Atlantic 10 co-champion George Mason (23-10) in Fairfax, Va., and will play Sunday at 5 p.m. (ESPN2) at sector No. 2 seed Stanford (20-13), which advanced at home in Ma a narrow 80-76 win in Maples Pavilion over LMU (21-10).

Two of the four first out NCAA No. 1 seeds in the WBIT were upset, Utah (19-13), which was unable to host, fell 72-58 to unseeded Eastern Kentucky (24-8) while Texas A&M (14-13) at home in College Station in Reed Arena 68-48 to unseeded McNeese (28-5), the regular season Southland champion.

Missouri (17-16), a four seed under former Tennessee coach Kellie Harper, won 67-57 at Seton Hall (19-13).

Both Ivy teams won, Columbia (20-8) demolished its nearby New York metro neighbor Saint John’s 74-26 at home in Levien Gym led by Ivy player of the year Riley Weiss with 24 points to end the Red Storm season at (22-12) while the Lions Sunday play at No. 1 seed North Dakota (29-5) at 2 p.m. (ESPN+).

No. 4 seed Harvard (19-11) won 73-52 at home in Lavietes Pavilion in Cambridge, Mass., over Patriot League regular season champion Navy (22-9) and Sunday will host Eastern Kentucky at 2 p.m. (ESPN+).

Back in the WNIT La Salle, in postseason play for the first time in over three decades since 1992, will host Binghamton at 6 p.m. in the John E. Glaser Arena after the Explorers’ opponent advanced with an 81-60 victory over Mercyhurst.

That winner will meet Sunday’s winner at 2 p.m. between NJIT and host Army, under first-year coach Katie Kuester, a former Saint Joseph’s star and assistant coach under Cindy Griffin.

Lehigh (17-15) lost its WNIT opener 72-62 at Monmouth (21-11), the winners moving Sunday at 7 p.m. to Cleveland State.

Belle Bramer, was 8-14 from the field scoring 19 points for the season-ending Nountain Hawks.

On Wednesday, Richmond’s NCAA appearance lasted shorter than last season, losing 75-56 in a First Four game to Nebraska (19-12) led by Britt Prince with 22 points, shooting 10-14 from the field while Broomall’s Maggie Doogan, the A-10 olayer of the year, shot 8-13 from the field for 24 points with 10 boards in her final game for the Spiders (26-8).

The Huskers’ 17-0 start of the third quarter took care of business moving them to Friday’s game against six seed Baylor.

The other three games had Missouri State win 85-75 over Stephen F. Austin; Southern win 65-53 over Samford; and Virginia edge Arizona State 57-55 as Kymora Johnson scored 17 for the Cavaliers (20-11) and the go-ahead score with a three-pointer with 30.6 seconds left against the Sun Devils (24-11).

Virginia last appeared in the NCAA tournament in 2018 while Arizona State last appeared a year later.

Looking Ahead NCAA Weekend Highlights

On Friday, at 3:30 p.m. (ESPN2), WCC champion Gonzaga, a 12 seed meets 5 seed Ole Miss while Missouri State, under former Notre Dame star Beth Cunningham, who played for the Philadelphia Rage in the ABL, meets Texas at 4 p.m. (ESPN), Michigan hosts Holy Cross, featuring area players Kaitlyn Flagan and Hannah Griffin at 5:30 p.m. (ESPN2) and at 8 p.m. (ESPN) No.10 Tennessee, entering in a seven-game losing streak plays No. 7 N.C. State.

On Saturday, overall No. 1 snd unbeaten Connecticut begins play at 3 p.m. on ABC, while Ivy champ and No. 9 Princeton plays No. 8 Oklahoma State at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2., Fairfield plays Notre Dame at 2 p.m. on ESPN, James Madison plays Kentucky at 2:30 p.m. on ESPNU, Rhode Island plays Alabama at 2:30 p.m. (ESPNews).