Villanova and St. Joe's Meet in Big 5 Showdown for a Spot in the WBIT Semifinals
Two evenly matched Philadelphia programs face off Thursday night at Finneran Pavilion, with the winner moving on to the first Final Four of the NCAA-owned Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament.
By Aever Bundji · · Originally reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer
Two of the city's top women's basketball programs meet Thursday night at Villanova's Finneran Pavilion, with a berth in the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament semifinals at stake. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
The WBIT is in its first season as a 32-team field owned by the NCAA. Its creation raised the number of NCAA-funded postseason berths to 100, matching the men's total of 68 NCAA Tournament bids plus 32 NIT bids. The WNIT, another well-known consolation event, is owned by Triple Crown Sports.
Top-seeded Villanova (20-12) has been strong at home, going 12-4 at the Finn, and has beaten VCU 75-60 and Virginia 73-55 in this tournament. St. Joseph's (28-5) arrives from the West Coast after a 63-61 upset of No. 2 seed California. The Hawks are 15-1 on the road this season, away from Hagan Arena.
Scoring is where the two teams differ most in style. Both average more than 65 points per game, but St. Joe's spreads the load among Talya Brugler (15.5 points per game), Laura Ziegler (14.6) and MacKenzie Smith (12.8). Smith, a 5-foot-10 junior guard, has made 50 of 117 three-point attempts, or 42.7%. Villanova's offense runs through senior guard Lucy Olsen, who averages a career-high 23.6 points, third-best in the nation. She is the only Wildcat averaging double figures. St. Joe's balanced attack worked earlier this season, when the Hawks beat Villanova 73-67 at Hagan Arena in Big 5 play.
Inside, Villanova may hold the edge thanks to Christina Dalce. The 6-foot-2 junior forward averages 9.7 rebounds, with 309 on the season, and 8.4 points. She has a team-high 10 double-doubles and leads the Wildcats with 72 of their 146 blocks. She and Ziegler, who averages 9.4 rebounds and leads St. Joe's in blocks, are the only two Big 5 players in the NCAA's top 50 in rebounding. The Hawks rank ninth in the Atlantic 10 in rebounds and seventh in blocks.
The matchup is otherwise close statistically, and motivation may tip it toward St. Joe's. The Hawks were 21-2 deep into February yet received only a single vote in the Associated Press top 25. They then lost to Rhode Island in the A-10 quarterfinal, a setback that came when it mattered most.
Villanova has played the tougher schedule. Its roster would be at home against a team like Penn State or Mississippi State, the other top seeds in the field. The Wildcats took losses to Oregon State on Nov. 12 and Princeton on Dec. 11, but a Jan. 17 win over No. 22 Marquette, an NCAA Tournament team, offsets those.
This Hawks squad is considered the most dominant team coach Cindy Griffin has had in 23 years on the sideline. Finishing with a WBIT title, and getting past a fellow Big 5 power along the way, would be a fitting end to their season.
