The Guru’s Local/National NCAAW Roundup: Temple Rides Turner’s Career Day to Easy Win Over VCU; No. 1 UConn Slams No. 16 Southern Cal; No. 20 Washington Dodges Green Bay Upset Attempt

 By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

PHILADELPHIA – In one of only two games played by the locals Saturday afternoon as the finals period across the nation hits the midpoint, back home here in the Liacouras Center Temple used a heavy three-point air attack and rode Kaylah Turner’s career-best 29 points that was supplemented by six assists to down Atlantic 10 member VCU 88-63 and return to .500 at 5-5 returning to play for the first time since Sunday’s loss to Drexel in the 3rd place game of the Big 5 Classic.

“It was a nice game for us, offensively and defensively,” said Temple coach Diane Richardson. “We talked about starting early and it started with defense, and it turned into offense.

“We had a week to work on some things because we’re better than we showed recently on the road.”

Turnovers were almost even; Temple was one worse at 27-26 than VCU (3-7) but the Owls thrived in transition 34-19 and their fast pace led to a 21-11 advantage in fast break points.

“We’re a pretty fast team.” Richardson said. “We’ve got a roster full of athletes. We had to spread out, and we had to find the alleys, and we did that today.”

The home team jumped to a 13-point lead, VCU launched a run to cut ten points into its deficit by the end of the first period.

Temple quickly answered dominating the next two periods 25-12 and 30-17to take control the rest of the way.

Turner was particularly explosive shooting 9-13 from the field and had six makes from deep in eight attempts. She also had four steals.

Temple’s 12 from the perimeter doubled the six from VCU.

Savannah Curry on 5-8 from the field and 6-7 from the line scored a career-high16 points, while Jaleesa Molina double doubled with 11 points and ten boards, and reserve Brianna Mead, a transfer from Long Island U., also scored 11, and Saniyah Craig scored six points and pulled down seven rebounds.

Tristen Taylor, who has been rehabbing from an injury is expected to return for Temple’s next game.

VCU’s Katarina Knezevic scored 21 points while Daija Preston and Makennah White each scored 13 points.

Turner said she’s comforting running in transition. “We work on it all the time in practice and it’s my teammates who space the floor and allow me to do that.”

Temple is off until Friday night hosting Coppin State at 7 p.m. (ESPN+).

The other local playing was Rider (2-7), which fell 46-34 at home to Wagner (3-6) in Alumni Gym in Lawrenceville, N.J.

A 12-1 run in the second period gave the visitors a lead large enough to sustain the Broncs’ competitive attack in the second half.

“Very disappointed in our team’s performance and effort,” said first-year coach Jackie Hartzell. “Until today’s game I thought we were trending in the right direction, so we need to get back to where we were before this game.”

Aina Perez Mesquida was the sole Bronc scoring in double figures with 11 points.

Rider next opens Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play Friday at 6 p.m. (ESPN+) against two-time defending champion and preseason favorite Fairfield.

On Sunday La Salle is at Md.-Eastern Shore at 3 p.m. in Princess Anne while Penn State travels to No. 3 South Carolina at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN.

The National Scene

The seven ranked teams on Saturday’s slate all won, six easily led by a dominating 79-51 performance by defending NCAA champion and top ranked UConn (10-0) at No. 16 Southern Cal (7-3) at the Galen Center in Los Angeles as Huskies coach Geno Auriemma picked up his overall record 1,260th career victory.

Azzi Fudd scored 17 points for the visitors, shooting 6-11 from the field and 3-6 makes from deep with four assists.

Sarah Strong scored 14 with seven boards, Ashlynn Shade was 6-11 collecting 15 points, Blanca Quinonez scored 12 points and Wisconsin transfer Sarah Williams grabbed nine rebounds.

USC’s Kennedy Smith scored 16 points with seven boards and freshman Jazzy Davidson scored 10 points.

The Huskies next return to Big East play Wednesday at 7 p.m. on Peacock hosting Marquette in PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, while the Trojans on Thursday host Cal Poly at 10 p.m. on B1G+.

No. 20 Washington (9-1) at home in Seattle escaped an upset attack with a 79-74 win over Green Bay (8-4) as Savia Sellers made seven 3-pointers and equaled her career-high 30 points as the Huskies of the Northwest outscored the visitors 23-9 in the fourth quarter.

Green Bay’s Jenna Guyer led four other teammates scoring in double figures with 19 points.

Washington next visits former Pac-12 rival Stanford Friday at 10 p.m. (ACCNX) while Green Bay visits Miami of Ohio Saturday at 1 p.m. on ESPN+.

Oregon State transfer Raegan Beers in her second season with No. 9 Oklahoma (11-1) led five teammates, all starters, in double figures, to a 92-70 win over in-state rival No. 23 Oklahoma State (10-2) in Oklahoma City.

The Sooners have won seventh straight in the series with the Cowgirls (10-2), who got 22 points from Michah Gray while Jadyn Wooten scored 15 points.

Oklahoma next hosts N.C. Central a week from Monday while Oklahoma State hosts Tulsa Monday at 7:30 p.m.

After No. 5 LSU (11-0) had reached 100 points in its first eight games and the Tigers reached 90 at Duke, they dropped below the 90-point line in an 87-61 victory over Louisiana Tech (5-4), the alma mater of LSU coach Kim Mulkey.

She’s now 2-0 against the Techsters.

Mikaylah Williams had 19 points for LSU in the game at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans while Flau’jae Johnson scored 13 with 10 boards

Louisiana Tech’s Paris Bradley scored 19 points while Jianna Morris scored 11.

The Tigers next host Morgan State Tuesday at noon on SECN+ while Tech on Wednesday hosts Central Arkansas at 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+).

In three other games with ranked teams, No. 6 Michigan (9-1) at home in Ann Arbor won 85-59 in Ann Arbor as Syla Swords and Ashley Sofilkanich each scored 17 points; No. 17 Ole Miss (9-1) got 24 points and 11 rebounds at home in Oxford from Ohio State transfer Cotie McMahon in an 86-52 win over Wofford (4-6); and No. 11 Iowa (10-1) at home in Iowa City got a season-high 29 points from Hannah Stueke in a crushing 102-68 win over Lindenwood (7-3).

The Hawkeyes next play UConn Saturday in Brooklyn, part of the Champions Classic doubleheader at the Barclays Center at 1:30 p.m. on FOX which comes after No. 18 Tennessee plays No. 22 Louisville at 11 a.m. on the same network.

Michigan next plays visiting Oakland next Sunday at noon while Ole Miss plays back-to-back hosting South Carolina State at 3 p.m. on SECN+.

In other key Sunday games soon to tip No. 2 Texas visits former Big 12 rival No. 13 Baylor in the first Sprouts Farmers Market ESPNW Invitational at 1 p.m. in Fort Worth on ABC; Louisville is at No. 12 North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C. at 4 p.m., the league game airing on the ACC Network; No. 19 Notre Dame, also  at 4 p.m., visits Sun Belt favorite James Madison in Blacksburg, Va. (ESPN+).

Elsewhere Sunday of note, Auburn is at Seton Hall at Walsh Gym in South Orange, N.J., at 1 p.m. (ESPN+); Dayton is at Purdue at noon on the B1G+; also, at 1 p.m. Maine is at Quinnipiac (ESPN+); at 2 p.m. in an ACC game on ACCNX, N.C. State visits Miami, and at 3 p.m., No. 15 Kentucky is at Belmont (ESPN+).

No local games are scheduled for Monday.