The Guru’s Local/National NCAAW Roundup: Villanova Beats Georgetown on Alumni Day; La Salle Tops Fordham; No. 1 UConn Keeps Rolling

 By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

VILLANOVA, Pa. – In the Big East world beyond No. 1 and nationally unbeaten Connecticut, the defending NCAA champion, games during the second go-round on the season schedule are not going to be runaway affairs when those in the upper part of the standings meet up with those in the lower district.

But the difference is handling runs by the opposition, playing solid defense and making use of the talent able to ultimately handle the opposition and get to a satisfaction.

Villanova (19-5, 12-3) had all those elements harnessed Saturday afternoon here at the Wildcats’ Finneran Pavilion on their annual alumni day that included a special honor to retired longtime coach Harry Perretta in gaining a 67-55 win over Georgetown (12-12, 5-10) and season sweep of the Hoyas.

Denise Dillon’s squad got off to a 19-12 advantage in the first quarter, played toe-to-toe the next two periods in which Georgetown across the halves gained a slim 27-26 effort and then the home team came back with a finishing kick that grew a 19-point lead with 3:21 left in regulation to navigate the rest of the way to a victory.

With Seton Hall (15-8, 9-5) losing at St. John’s (19-7, 9-6) and 3rd-place Marquette (16-7, 10-4) idle, Villanova grew its second-place lead to 1.5 games ahead of 3rd and 2.5 ahead of fourth.

Third place would be just as acceptable because either is out of the way in next month’s Big East semifinals of UConn (25-0, 14-0) which held its 2.5 first-place lad over the Wildcats while demolishing visiting Butler 80-48 on campus at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs.

The Villanova defense forced twice as many turnovers 20-10 on Georgetown mining an 18-8 advantage in transition and 13-5 on fast breaks leading to 30-16 in the paint.

Made 3-pointers were close 8-7 in the home team’s favor but Villanova nailed theirs from long distance every time Georgetown was on a rally.

“It is a special day, and I just said that to the team, definitely one of my favorite days seeing so many of my teammates back here on campus, this year especially with honoring Harry at halftime,” Dillon said.

Perretta, who was also working another of the ongoing broadcasts in the Big East, many right here, as a game analyst, was presented with a big plaque that will be mounted in front of the building where tributes to former men’s and women’s players have existed since the arena’s renovation.

All-time scorer Maddy Siegriest, now a member of the WNBA Dallas Wings since her 2023 overall No. 3 pick and a member of the onoing Unrivaled winter league in Florida was here, where she also works with the Wildcats’ program when not involved with her duties in the women’s pro world.

So were many others, a group of 70 was anticipated.

“We get a lot of alums at our games,” Dillon said.

“You always teach what you’re taught,” she referred to Perretta. “I was so fortunate, I always had great coaches all the way up the line.”

Dillon prior to succeeding her former coach in the spring of 2020 had a long-time successful run down in West Philadelphia coaching Drexel and winning the WNIT besides guiding the Dragons to the first of several NCAA appearances.

“He taught us team basketball besides individual basketball.”

As for the immediate pursuit of ending a three-season absence from the NCAA tournament, Jasmine Bascoe scored 19 points, Denae Carter had 11 points and six assists, and Kennedy Henry and Kelsey Joens each scored 10 points.

Henry, Joens, and reserve Ryanne Allen each connected on two makes from deep and the team was a near-perfect 9-for-11 on the line.

Georgetown’s Khia Miller scored 12 points, Laila Jewett scored 10, and Brianna Byars grabbed 12 rebounds.

Starter Brianna Scott is the daughter of former Maryland star and Big Ten broadcaster Christy Winters Scott, who also is part of the WNBA Washington Mystics broadcast team.

Villanova is on the road next week visiting Xavier Wednesday in Cincinnati at 6:30 p.m. and then Sunday at Creighton at 5 p.m. in Omaha, Nebraska.

Connecticut continued to cruise in the Huskies’ ongoing domination of the conference to the point that they rested sophomore Sarah Strong, a key component of the attack as the leading scorer and rebounder, without missing a beat.

Azzi Fudd had 15 of her 17 points in the first half as UConn won its 41st straight game since a late season road loss at Tennessee, which the Huskies’ gained revenge with a 30-point home win a week ago in Hartford.

It was Strong’s first absence in two seasons, while Blanca Quinonez and Caroline Ducharme were also sidelined.

Reserve Reserve Allie Ziebell made her second start and tied KK Arnold each with four steals, while Serah Williams, Ashlynn Shade and Ziebell each scored 11 points and Arnold collected 10 points.

It’s the 62nd straight regular season Big East win for Hall of Fame coach Geno Auriemma’s team, which completes its two-game series with Villanova when the Wildcats are back here on Feb. 18 at 7 p.m.

A Split Afternoon in the A-10 for La Salle and Saint Joseph’s

La Salle (13-11, 6-7), which had been suffering shooting woes, snapped a losing streak with a season-best 54.7 percent from the field in downing Fordham 70-53 at home in John E. Glaser Arena.

Aryss Macktoon had a game-high 18 points for the Explorers against the Rams (9-15, 1-12), shooting 8-for-12 from the field, and grabbed her 300th rebound, while matching a personal best with four assists.

Joan Quinn had 13 points, six rebounds and three assists along with four steals, while Ashleigh Connor scored 11 points on 62.5 percent from the field with four boards, and Ivona Miljanic had four assists and was turnover free in her 22 minutes.

The Explorers are off all week until Saturday’s Valentines Day visit to George Washington at the Smith Center in the nation’s capital at 2 p.m. (ESPN+).

Saint Joseph’s (15-8, 6-6) at home in Hagan Arena had a rally fall short in losing 75-73 to Dayton (13-11, 6-7), which swept a Philadelphia road visit after winning at La Salle Wednesday.

The Flyers are coached by former UConn and WNBA star Tamika Williams-Jeter.

Gabby Casey had a career-high 29 points for the Hawks with seven rebounds, while Faith Stinson and Jill Jekot each scored 11 points.

Dayton had four players score in double figures led by Nicole Stephens with 18 points.

Saint Joseph’s stays home next for a Wednesday morning visit at 11 (ESPN+) from George Washington.

At the top of the conference, later Saturday evening, preseason favorite Richmond (20-4, 1-1) ended defending A-10 tourney champion George Mason’s perfect record with a 71-57 home win over the Patriots (15-7, 10-1) in the Spiders’ Robins Center leaving idle Rhode Island (20-2, 11-0) the last league team with a perfect record in A-10 competition.

Cardinal O’Hara grad Maggie Doogan led three teammates in double figures scoring 20 points for Richmond, while Mary Amoateng, one of two GMU players in double figures, scored 17 points off the bench.

In the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), Rider (5-18, 3-11) suffered a 73-37 road rout at Merrimack (13-10, 10-4) in North Andover, Mass.

Kristina Ekofo scored 13 points for the Broncs, who next host Saint Peter’s Thursday at 6 p.m. (ESPN+) at Alumni Gym in Lawrenceville, N.J.

At the top of the conference, Quinnipiac (20-4, 15-0) stayed a game in front in first with an 89-45 win at Niagara, while two-time defending champion Fairfield (20-4, 14-1) kept pace winning 82-46 at home against Iona.

In the Big Ten, Penn State (8-16, 1-12) looked poised to follow Wednesday’s first conference win of the season in overtime at Purdue when the Lady Lions held a 45-29 lead in the second quarter on No. 12 Michigan State at home in Rec Hall.

But the Spartans (20-4, 9-4) rallied for an 81-70 win, dropping Penn State alone in last place a half-game behind Rutgers, which hosts Minnesota Sunday at noon (B1G+) at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, N.J.

The Michigan State comeback from 16 down was the Spartans’ largest since 2005 in the NCAA semifinals upsetting Tennessee in Indianapolis.

Sunday’s only other local action has Drexel on a six-game win streak hosting Monmouth in a Coastal Athletic Association game at 1 p.m. at the Daskalakis Athletic Center on FlowCollege.

In the Penn State game, Grace VanSlooten had 20 points and 14 rebounds for Michigan State, Jalyn Brown scored 16 points, and Rashunda Jones scored 14 points.

Rutgers transfer Kiyomi McMiller had a career-high 37 points for the Lady Lions, who next are at No. 22 Maryland on Thursday while Michigan State is at No. 2 UCLA on Wednesday.

In Saturday’s only other Big Ten game, Maryland (19-6, 7-6) on the road at Nebraska (16-8, 5-8) in Lincoln won 78-60 as Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu scored 16 points, shooting 7-for-8 from the field as the Terrapins pulled away down the stretch.

Oluchi Okananwa had 14 points and four steals for the Terrapins and Yarden Garzon scored 11 points with six assists, and Kyndal Walker scored 13 off the bench.

Nebraska’s Logan Nissley had a career-high 22 points.

Maryland, as mentioned, hosts Penn State Wednesday, and Nebraska is at Minnesota Thursday.

Temple (10-12, 4-6) after a week off committed 20 turnovers in an American Conference game at home in the Liacouras Center in a narrow 69-66 loss to North Texas (13-11, 7-4).

The miscues were damaging considering the Owls had a 13-point lead at the half and then gave up 28 points in the third period.

“It was a tough game,” said Temple coach Diane Richardson. “We had our run in the first half, they came back and had a run. We ended up in a tight game that we didn’t come out on top.”

Savannah Curry scored 14 points for the Owls while Saniyah Craig scored 10 points.

Megan Nestor, the nation’s leading rebounder, pulled down 13 with 20 points for North Texas.

Temple is at UTSA in San Antonio, Texas, Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

Delaware (11-12, 5-6) got 20 points and 16 boards on a season-best effort from Kay Fontroy but the Blue Hens fell 61-58 in a Conference USA game at Jacksonville State (12-11, 6-5) in Alabama.

Ande’a Cherisier scored 13 points, shooting 5-of-8 from the field, and Ella Wanzer scored 10 points, highlighted by making a pair of shots from beyond the arc.

Delaware returns home to the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark on Thursday, hosting New Mexico State at 7 p.m. (ESPN+).

In the only other two local games Saturday, in the Patriot League, Lehigh (12-10, 8-4) won 73-61 at home in Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pa., over Holy Cross (14-9, 8-4), while Lafayette (8-15, 4-8) fell at home 62-50 in the Kirby Center in Easton, Pa., to second-place Army (18-5, 9-3).

The visiting Black Knights at Lafayette, stayed in second place two games behind preseason favorite Navy (16-6, 11-1), which beat host American 86-58 in Washington, D.C.

Lehigh got 21 points from Belle Bramer, while Whitney Lind scored 17 points with five assists, Gracyn Lovette scored13, and Lily Fandre scored 12 points.

Army, under first year coach Kate Kuester, a former Saint Joseph’s star and assistant coach, got 18 points from Reese Ericson, while Camryn Tade had 15 points, and Kya Smith had 13 points and 10 rebounds.

The host Leopards got 11 points from Haylie Adamski and Madison Krug shooting 5-for-7 scored 10 points.

Lafayette on Wednesday is at Loyola, Md., in suburban Baltimore at 7 p.m. (ESPN+), while Lehigh is at American U. at 6 p.m. (ESPN+).

Army at 6 p.m. (ESPN+) is at Boston U. while Navy hosts Bucknell at 7 p.m. (ESPN+).

The National Scene

Three other ranked teams, all in the Big 12, had games Saturday.

No. 15 Baylor at home in Waco, Texas, edged Arizona State 67-64, while No. 20 West Virginia at home in Morgantown, won 87-68 over Arizona, and No. 18 Texas Tech won at Houston.

In the Baylor game, Taliah Scott had 17 points in a narrow win in which Gabby Elliott for the Sun Devils (19-6, 6-6) scored to bring the visitors within a point with 15 seconds left.

But the Bears (21-4, 10-2) answered with two foul shots and Arizona State then committed a turnover.

Baylor is at No. 14 TCU in Fort Worth on Thursday.

West Virginia (20-5, 10-3) got 17 points from Kierra Wheeler in the win over Arizona (11-12, 2-10), while the Mountaineers also got 16 from Sydney Shaw and next hosts UCF on Wednesday.

Texas Tech (22-3, 9-3) on the road at Houston (7-16, 1-11) were led by Bailey Maupin with 25 points and next host Kansas on Tuesday.

The Jayhawks will be coming off an 80-71 win over Cincinnati at home, a game in which freshman Jaliya Davis for Kansas had her second straight performance with 28 points, the first one in a win over BYU she had her first double double with 12 rebounds.

In another Big 12 game of note, Audi Crooks scored 26 points for Iowa State (19-5, 7-5) in a 79-72 road win at Utah (16-8, 7-5) in Salt Lake City.

In the second part of the Mid-American Conference-Sun Belt Challenge, MAC teams dominated the 12 games, 8-4 with Kent State and Toledo among the winners while Old Dominion was one of the four winners out of the Sun Belt Conference.

Looking Ahead

Sunday’s pre-NFL Super Bowl afternoon card is highlighted by N. 19 Tennessee at No. 3 South Carolina at 3 p.m. on ABC, while in the Big Ten, No. 2 UCLA is at No. 8 Michigan the same time on FOX.

No. 17 Duke in the ACC will look to continue its win streak hosting SMU at 2 p.m. on the CW Network.

On Monday, No. 16 Kentucky is at No. 4 Texas at 7 p.m. on the SEC Network, while another SEC attraction has No. 11 Oklahoma at No. 7 Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tenn., at 9 p.m. on ESPN2.