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  • Penn women’s basketball keeps its Ivy Madness hopes alive with dominant win over Yale

    Penn women’s basketball keeps its Ivy Madness hopes alive with dominant win over Yale

    Penn dominated Yale on Saturday at the Palestra, keeping its slim hope for an Ivy League tournament bid alive.

    Mataya Gayle (22 points, four assists) and Brooke Suttle (16 points) combined for 38 points in the 68-52 win, which put the Quakers three games back of Harvard and Brown for fourth place in the Ancient Eight with four games left in the season.

    Penn women’s basketball competed in the four-team Ivy Madness tournament in six of the possible seven times since its inception in 2017. The Quakers failed to qualify in 2022.

    “They know we need to win,” Penn coach Mike McLaughlin said. “Since they’re smarter than me, they can figure out statistical analysis. I’m just here to tell you one at a time.”

    A mark above

    Gayle was honored pregame at halfcourt for reaching 1,000 career points against Cornell last weekend. The point guard is the 27th player in program history to reach the historic mark, but she’s not resting on her laurels.

    “I was excited about it,” Gayle said. “I think it was more so bittersweet. It’s the last time I’ll do this, so I was happy to get it. I’m proud of myself and the work I put in, but just want to keep winning.”

    Once the ball was tipped, Gayle continued her scoring ways — she tacked on 10 more points before the end of the first quarter. The Quakers (15-9, 5-6 Ivy League) held the lead for all but 21 seconds on Saturday, repeatedly taking advantage of Yale’s Ivy League-worst defense by scoring at the rim.

    Penn took care of the ball, too, and had just seven turnovers.

    “Only turning the ball over seven times gives us a chance to beat anyone,” McLaughlin said.

    Senior guard Simone Sawyer (12 points, eight rebounds) and Suttle combined to go 10-of-17 from the field, stepping up as reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year Katie Collins (eight points) who shot 2-of-11 from the field and struggled to score against Yale’s size.

    “I felt great,” Suttle, a sophomore guard, said. “Honestly, my teammates were doing a great job of finding me on cuts and off ball screens and actions like that. It’s just really good to be able to go out there knowing that they were confident in me.”

    Sophomore guard Ciniya Moore led Yale (6-18, 2-9) with 19 points.

    How managing 9 younger siblings prepared Mataya Gayle to run Penn’s offense | from 2024

    Looking for help

    After winning the first iteration of Ivy Madness in 2017, Penn has been a perennial bridesmaid, losing in the championship game the next two seasons and coming in as the fourth seed in each of the last three.

    Now, McLaughlin is looking for help from some unlikely allies down the stretch with the hope that his team, once again, sneaks its way into contention.

    “I’ll buy them something to eat when I see them next,” McLaughlin said in reference to if Princeton beats Brown. “That’s what Philly people do right? They help out. We took care of our business. Whatever happens, happens, but I’m not opposed to buying if they help us out.”

    Why Kevin Willard doesn’t mind a Villanova shot clock violation, predicting Big 5 award winners, and more

    Not as lucky

    The men’s team, which traveled to New Haven, Conn., to take on the league-leading Bulldogs, lost, 74-70. The Quakers (13-11, 6-5) remain in third with a one-game lead over fourth-place Cornell.

    Penn’s three-headed offensive attack, led by TJ Power (18 points, eight rebounds), Ethan Roberts (12 points), and Michael Zanoni (20 points), showed out — but the team failed to stop Yale’s paint presence, led by forward Isaac Celiscar (16 points) and center Samson Aletan (13 points).

    The Bulldogs (21-4, 9-2) scored 14 more points in the paint, 36-22, and seven more second-chance points (14-7).

    Penn guard Michael Zanoni had 20 points in a road loss to Yale.

    Up next

    Penn’s women embark on their final regular-season road trip, starting with Harvard on Friday (7 p.m., ESPN+). The men host Dartmouth that night at the Palestra (7 p.m., ESPN+).

  • Jefferson women’s basketball coach Tom Shirley to be inducted into Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame

    Jefferson women’s basketball coach Tom Shirley to be inducted into Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame

    Longtime Thomas Jefferson women’s basketball coach Tom Shirley received a welcome surprise before his team’s matchup with Caldwell on Saturday.

    Shirley, who has coached the Rams for 36 years, was announced as one of 10 inductees into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026. The class will be inducted on Sept. 19.

    “I am honored to be recognized by the Pa. Sports Hall of Fame,” Shirley said. “I do realize there is group of individuals that have assisted me in receiving this recognition. Thank you to the players, alumni, coaches, staff, and Thomas Jefferson University, who have made this possible.”

    The other inductees are: Mike Bantom (basketball), Larry Bowa (baseball), Brad Cashman (administration), Joe Crawford (official), Marc Jackson (basketball), Benjamin Johnson (track and field), Kelsey Kolojejchick (field hockey), Ted Lachowicz (football), Darrelle Revis (football), Chris Snee (football), Nancy Stevens (field hockey), and Willie Thrower (football).

    Shirley has led the Rams to 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, five Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference championships, two Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference titles, and two New York Collegiate Athletic Conference titles.

    Jefferson University’s Tom Shirley becomes the 25th college basketball coach to reach 900 wins

    He has 922 victories, the most an for active Division II coach, and is considered one of the most decorated college women’s basketball coaches.

    “This is a significant moment celebrating Coach Shirley’s contributions to basketball and sports in Pennsylvania,” said Hall of Fame president James Parrella.

    Shirley has been named CACC Coach of the Year four times, including consecutive seasons in 2024 and 2025. He also was named the American Women’s Sports Federation Division II Coach of the Year and Converse District Coach of the Year in 1993.

    Off the court, he was the school’s athletic director for 32 years. He stepped down from the role in August 2024.

    His team had one of its best seasons in program history in 2023-24. The Rams set a program record with 23 straight wins, lost just once during the regular season, reached the Sweet 16 for a second straight year, and finished 32-2.

    The Rams are 17-10 and 11-8 this season, after a 48-45 loss to Caldwell. They have one more regular-season game, Wednesday night at home against Chestnut Hill, before the conference tournament begins March 3.

    Longtime Thomas Jefferson University women’s basketball coach Tom Shirley with Rams alumni.
  • Megan Keller’s golden goal for Team USA should go down as one of the biggest moments in Olympic history

    Megan Keller’s golden goal for Team USA should go down as one of the biggest moments in Olympic history

    When they eventually install microcameras into the corneas of our eyes, we’ll still be watching this hockey highlight.

    This was Kerri Strug vaulting on one leg in 1996. Bob Beamon shattering the long jump in Mexico City in 1968. Sid the Kid in 2010, only much, much cooler.

    It was more than historic. It was iconic.

    In overtime of the gold-medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Team USA defenseman Megan Keller deked Canadian defender Claire Thompson and left her in the dust, flailing with her stick.

    Keller then beat goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens with a backhand to the short side.

    It was a golden goal worthy of the name.

    It should live as one of the great Olympic moments of all time. It should live as one of the great sporting moments of all time.

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    It’s hard to compare this Olympic moment with Romania’s Nadia Comăneci, who scored gymnastics’ first perfect 10 in 1976 at the age of 14. It’s not really the same as Usain “Lightning” Bolt, the Jamaican sprinter who broke Michael Johnson’s world record in the 200 meters in 2008 or Michael Phelps, who, at those same Beijing Games, swam his way to eight golds; their moments were parts of aggregations. And it certainly lacks the social significance of Black sprinter Jesse Owens, who won a then-record four golds in 1936 in front of host Adolf Hitler.

    Jamaica’s Usain Bolt celebrates as he wins the men’s 200-meter final with a world record during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

    I was there for Bolt and Phelps. All of those moments took your breath away the way only great moments in sport leave you breathless.

    None was quite as magical as Keller’s golden goal.

    Sidney Crosby did something similar for Canada in 2010, and he did it against Team USA, and I was there for that, too. But Crosby’s goal was simpler: He carried the puck in, had a weak shot deflected away, got it back, went to the boards, passed to teammate Jarome Iginla, skated away from suddenly inattentive defenseman Brian Rafalski, got the pass back from Iginla, and snapped a shot past goaltender Ryan Miller.

    Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky and film legend Donald Sutherland, both great Canadians, were sitting right behind me. They’d probably disagree with my assertion here.

    Sid’s was a great play.

    Keller’s was better.

    Keller’s goal isn’t quite the same event as Team USA’s upset of the Soviets in 1980. That was a true underdog story, mostly U.S. college kids playing an elite set of professionals who’d won the last four golds. It might be the biggest upset in sports history — but it wasn’t an overtime game, or even a gold-medal game, and there was no defining, game-ending moment like Keller’s.

    Pity poor Thompson, but not too much. She’d been a hero in China with 11 assists and two goals, an Olympic record for defensemen, when the Canadians won the gold in 2022.

    There are plenty of caveats surrounding what should be the play of the year. None of them of Keller’s making.

    Megan Keller celebrates after scoring one of the best golden goals you will ever see in hockey.

    Crosby scored his goal in a four-on-four setting, but overtime rules were changed ahead of the 2022 Olympics to make it three-on-three.

    The teams in 2010 were more evenly matched, while the U.S. team in Milan, Italy, was heavily favored, having outscored opponents, 31-1, in a 6-0 run that included a 5-0 win over Canada in the preliminary round. However, Canada’s strategy and execution Thursday had the reigning champs holding onto a 1-0 lead before American captain Hilary Knight tied the game with 2 minutes, 4 seconds left in regulation.

    Hayes: ll this talk about trading A.J. Brown is madness. Anyway, you’re talking about trading the wrong Eagle.

    Finally, no teams besides Canada (five) and the U.S. (three) have won a gold medal, and they have met in the gold-medal game seven of the eight times it has been played. To date, it is not a sport in which the field offers the titans much resistance.

    This should not diminish the moment. Keller and her teammates can only beat opponents they meet.

    This golden goal is one of the best plays you will ever see.

    In fact, as a spontaneous athletic maneuver of incomparable audacity and breathtaking skill, seizing the biggest moment in a player’s life, I struggle to find its equal.

  • Imhotep is back in the Public League girls’ basketball final after beating Central

    Imhotep is back in the Public League girls’ basketball final after beating Central

    Business as usual.

    For the 14th year in a row, Imhotep Charter is headed back to the Public League championship. In Thursday’s semifinal, the Panthers eked out a 52-45 win against Central at La Salle’s John Glaser Arena. Imhotep led for the entire game, but Central kept it close until the final whistle. Taylor Linton’s team-high 17 points lifted the Panthers back to the final.

    “Out of all the teams throughout Imhotep history that have contributed to the streak, the commonality between all of those teams is that everybody is pushing,” said Imhotep coach David Hargrove. “Pushing to be better — number one. But then, pushing to be better teammates — number two. That allows us to keep that standard of competitiveness and championship-quality basketball.”

    Audenried will defend its Public League girls’ basketball title after blowout win over Lincoln

    Late in the fourth quarter, down by six, Central sophomore guard Ava Yancey stole the ball and passed to junior point guard Stevie Hall, who was fouled and sent to the line. She made both free throws.

    But Imhotep kept on pushing.

    Panthers junior guard McKenna Alston responded with a lay-in of her own to quiet Central’s fans. Alston then stole the ball on the next two Lancers possessions to swing the momentum back to the Panthers.

    “We challenge our kids about making connecting plays. A lot of people think that’s [just on offense]. But for us … it’s on defense too,” Hargrove said. “We were able to put pressure to the ball, be in passing lanes, and be active.”

    Linton added: “[The end] was very intense. I think what was important is that we kept our poise … and we stayed connected.”

    Imhotep senior point guard Anai Kenyatta controlled the pace for the Panthers. Whenever the Lancers gained momentum, Kenyatta answered the call, finishing with 13 points. Senior forward Crystal Hawthorne added 11.

    For Central, sophomore forward Janai Bellinger led with a game-high 18 points. After Imhotep took a quick nine-point lead behind a 7-2 run to start the second half, Bellinger kept her team within striking distance until the final whistle.

    Audenried trounced Lincoln 67-28 earlier Thursday, meaning Imhotep will meet Audenried in the Public League championship for the fourth year in a row on Sunday. The Panthers lost to the Shayla Smith-led Rockets in the championship the past three matchups. With Smith now at Penn State, Sunday’s results could look different from previous years.

    Before Alexis Eberz begins her journey at Villanova, she has unfinished business with Archbishop Carroll

    “Sunday’s matchup — we anticipate it to be a classic. It’s what has become an Imhotep-Audenried matchup, which is always going to be a back-and-forth, competitive game,” said Hargrove. “Some players are going to step up, some might step down, but it’s going to be a competitive game, and our kids have really been building for this moment all season.”

    Before Imhotep prepares for Audenried, the Panthers celebrated in the locker room after Thursday’s win.

    “It was quiet at first when we all walked in because it was like, ‘Dang,’” Linton said. “And then the coaches started coming in, and it was like, ‘OK, we going to the chip.’ It was real. Everybody was cheering and everyone was really, really happy.”

  • Audenried will defend its Public League girls’ basketball title after blowout win over Lincoln

    Audenried will defend its Public League girls’ basketball title after blowout win over Lincoln

    The Universal Audenried Charter girls’ basketball team entered the Public League semifinals Thursday night as three-time reigning champions, but the journey for its fourth title looks different.

    Guard Shayla Smith led the Rockets the last four seasons and became Philadelphia’s all-time leading scorer, but she graduated and moved on to Penn State.

    Against Abraham Lincoln, Audenried showed it still can win. Behind junior forward Nasiaah Russell and senior guard Heaven Reese, the Rockets are heading to their fourth straight Public League title game after beating Lincoln, 67-28, at La Salle’s John Glaser Arena. Audenried will face Imhotep on Sunday.

    Before Alexis Eberz begins her journey at Villanova, she has unfinished business with Archbishop Carroll

    After a sluggish first four minutes, Audenried dominated the rest of the way. The Rockets outscored Lincoln by 19 points in the second half by forcing turnovers and scoring in transition. Four players scored in double figures, led by Reese’s 16 points and sophomore guard Chloe Kham’s 15 off the bench.

    “Us making it back to the championship after Shayla leaving is huge for me,” said Audenried coach Kevin Slaughter. “A lot of people were saying once Shayla left, we were done, and to get back is big for us.”

    Audenried found stability behind Reese, who has been part of the winning culture at Audenried and knows what it takes to bring home a Public League crown.

    The experience of Reese, a Coppin State commit; Russell, who’s committed to St. John’s; and guard Aniyah Cheeseboro made overcoming the loss of Smith easier.

    “The last three years, we have all been behind Shayla and the other seniors,” Reese said. “So for us to [go win without her], it just means a lot.”

    The Rockets ended the first quarter on a 16-1 run to take a 12-point lead. Kham hit back-to-back threes early in the second to push Audenried’s lead to 16. The sophomore was a significant factor for Audenried with her deep shooting and layups in transition.

    West Philly ‘stayed the path’ to get back to the Public League final

    “Chloe has been a person who’s been struggling a bit this season … and I think it was her first high school experience because she didn’t really play at Neumann Goretti last year,” Slaughter said. “So for her to come out and have 15 points is huge for us.”

    Audenried took a 40-18 halftime lead with another championship appearance in sight. Lincoln scored the first three points of the second half before the Rockets put the game away.

    They scored 27 straight points to enter the final eight minutes with a 67-21 lead. Reese and Russell led the charge with 12 during the run.

    Audenried girls’ basketball will have a rematch with Imhotep in the Public League title game on Sunday.

    The championship game will pit Audenried against Imhotep for a fourth straight year. The Rockets won, 65-52, last year behind 35 points from Smith. They may not have Smith, but their confidence in winning a fourth straight Public League title remains high.

    “Me personally, I always thought we were going to get back here,” Slaughter said. “Because a lot of the kids who were ninth and 10th graders when Shayla was there, they got to see it. … They have been in these wars.”

  • Villanova’s battle against No. 1 UConn brought fleeting flashbacks of the ‘old-school Big East’

    Villanova’s battle against No. 1 UConn brought fleeting flashbacks of the ‘old-school Big East’

    The Finneran Pavilion was the loudest it had been all season for Villanova women’s basketball as the Wildcats hosted No. 1 UConn on Wednesday night.

    The energy in the packed arena intensified at halftime when the unexpected happened: Villanova led the undefeated Huskies by three points. It was the first time all season that UConn trailed at the half.

    “The atmosphere that was created was tremendous,” said Villanova coach Denise Dillon. “I loved hearing [the fans]. They were here for us. That was the difference, and you felt it from the beginning of the game and carrying through.”

    What did Villanova learn in its loss to No. 1 UConn? The game truly is ‘four quarters.’

    The magic of Villanova’s first half eventually wore off, as UConn pulled away in the third quarter. The Huskies then held a double-digit lead to secure an 83-69 win. Villanova will be back in the Finneran Pavilion on Sunday to host Marquette, which stands fourth in the Big East (3:30 p.m., Peacock).

    However, Villanova’s tough stance against the nation’s top team was enough to remind the 41-year UConn coach Geno Auriemma of what he called the “old-school Big East.”

    The conference rivalry, which has dissipated since the advent of the NIL and transfer portal era, seemed to have been revived — at least for the moment.

    Looking back

    Auriemma reflected on the rivalry between Villanova and UConn over the years. Although UConn owns the all-time record 49-7, the longtime coach, who grew up in Norristown, suggested the competition intensified since UConn rejoined the Big East in 2000 after a seven-year stint in the American Confernce.

    Now, UConn (28-0, 17-0 Big East) and Villanova (21-6, 14-4) hold the top two places in the conference standings. But the gap between the two programs remains wide.

    Villanova’s Jasmine Bascoe finished wih 26 points in a loss to UConn on Wednesday.

    “Every mistake we made in the first half [tonight], we paid for it,” Auriemma said. “The crowd was great. The two best teams in the league are playing, it’s a great atmosphere. I love the way Denise does things with her team. As much as I enjoy coming [to Villanova] because a lot of friends and family are down here, I didn’t really miss it those seven years.”

    Wednesday’s game was a much different contest than the last time the two teams faced off just over a month ago. The Huskies bulldozed their way to a 99-50 victory on Jan. 15 on their home court.

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    “It honestly was a train wreck at their place,” Dillon said. “So the growth from a month ago is fantastic. That’s what you want, especially when you have younger players and [Jasmine Bascoe] leading the way, directing out there on the floor.”

    After being limited to just eight points in January’s matchup against UConn, sophomore guard Jasmine Bascoe was all over the court on Wednesday night. Bascoe scored 18 of her 26 points in the first half. She also added nine rebounds and seven assists, while playing the full 40 minutes.

    Carter’s veteran view

    In each of Denae Carter’s three seasons at Villanova, a win over UConn was out of sight. UConn recorded 100 points against Villanova for the first time last season and went on to win the national championship. The Huskies were one point away from repeating that in January.

    Carter, a graduate forward who joined the Wildcats in 2023-24 as a Mississippi State transfer, is one of Villanova’s few veteran players.

    Against UConn, she recorded a career-high 21 points, shooting 8-for-9 from the field and 3-for-3 on three-pointers. She also notched three steals and three blocks while being matched up with Sarah Strong, the Big East’s top scorer.

    Villanova’s Denae Carter (left) scored a career-high 21 points agains UConn on Wednesday.

    “[Strong] is a great player, and our focus really was just stopping everybody and helping each other,” Carter said. “I think we did a really good job in the first half, and we just have to sustain that.”

    With two regular-season games remaining of her college career, Carter is a player the program will continue to lean on.

    “I think that maturity came through tonight and she’s tough to take off the floor at any point,” Dillon said. “We’re going to keep [Carter] out there longer as she finishes her career.”

    Villanova honors alumni and coach Harry Perretta during its win over Georgetown

    What was once an intense rivalry between UConn and Villanova may not be achievable in the current college sports landscape. But Villanova’s unprecedented first half on Wednesday showed that the program is hungry to change that.

    “We have such a great connection,” Carter said. “On the court, we’re able to display that a lot. We have fun together. We’re playing all five out there, and I think Sunday is just going to be a really great opportunity for us to get that one back.”

  • South Jersey’s Isabeau Levito finishes 12th, fellow American Alysa Liu claims gold medal at Olympics

    South Jersey’s Isabeau Levito finishes 12th, fellow American Alysa Liu claims gold medal at Olympics

    MILAN, Italy — In her first Olympics, in her mother’s hometown and very close to where her grandmother still lives, South Jersey figure skater Isabeau Levito earned a score of 131.96 in the free skate, or long program on Thursday.

    The 18-year-old wound up in eighth place in the short program after a score of 70.84 and 13th in the free skate. But scores, rather than placements are what count, so she wound up in 12th place with a 202.80.

    In the end, her teammate, friend, and fellow Blade Angel, Alysa Liu, won her second Olympic gold, after helping win the team event last week.

    Liu, 20, scored 150.20 to win the free skate. She was the only skater to have positive grades of execution on all elements. She was third in Tuesday’s short program.

    Liu also is the reigning world champion.

    Two Japanese skaters earned silver and bronze.

    Kaori Sakamoto, the favorite entering the Olympics, earned the silver after winning bronze at the 2022 Games. She was second in both the short and free programs.

    Ami Nakai, 17, who won the short program, was ninth in the free skate despite landing one of only two triple Axels on Thursday night. She had won the short program. She earned the bronze medal.

    Alysa Liu is the Olympic women’s figure skating champion.

    Levito entered the day in eighth place and was in sixth after that skate, with seven more skaters to go.

    She had an uncharacteristic fall on her opening triple flip, which was supposed to be in combination, but skated with her usual elegant spins and footwork to “Cinema Paradiso” by Ennio Morricone, Italian music for the occasion. Levito was born in Philadelphia, grew up in Mount Holly, and now lives closer to where she trains, in Mount Laurel.

    “I did my best” after the fall, Levito said in the mixed zone following her performance. “I just went on autopilot, and the rest went how it usually goes.”

    Despite the fall and placement, Levito said she felt better at this competition than at the World Figure Skating Championships, U.S. Figure Skating Championships, or other competitions.

    “Honestly, I felt like I had more energy,” she said. “And I don’t know if it’s because consciously I know I’m at the Olympics, or if it’s the crowd. The crowd is very, very energetic and supportive here.”

    This is the moment 18-year-old South Jersey figure skater Isabeau Levito has been waiting for: The Olympics

    Levito skated in the second-to-last group (the free skate goes in reverse placement order from the short program). She wore a light blue, sparkly dress for the occasion.

    After Tuesday’s nearly clean short program, many on social media felt that Levito had been underscored. Some felt that after the free skate as well.

    At 18, South Jersey figure skater Isabeau Levito is heading to the Olympics: ‘I feel like I really achieved my dream life’

    She is the reigning U.S. bronze medalist and was the U.S. champion in 2023 and the world silver medalist in 2024 in women’s singles.

    In the previous group, Levito’s fellow Blade Angel, Amber Glenn, skated a far better program than she had in the team event (where she was part of the gold-medal win) or Tuesday’s short program.

    Competitors are not always rivals. Just ask Isabeau Levito and Amber Glenn. | from 2024

    She was third in the free skate and fifth overall after finishing 13th in an error-filled short program.

    Glenn, the reigning and three-time U.S. champion, opened the free skate with her trademark triple Axel, landing it strongly, and knocked off element after element, only putting a hand down on her triple loop. She earned a season-best score of 147.52, for a total of 214.91.

    Glenn gave Levito a standing ovation from the leader’s chair near the kiss-and-cry area.

    Adeliia Petrosian, a Russian skater competing under a neutral flag, was seen as a potential medalist as well. She was the only woman to attempt a quadruple jump. She opened her free skate with the quad toe loop but fell on it. She wound up fifth in both the short and free skate and sixth overall.

  • St. Joe’s women are on a hot streak and could earn a double bye in the Atlantic 10 tournament

    St. Joe’s women are on a hot streak and could earn a double bye in the Atlantic 10 tournament

    Through 20 minutes on Wednesday night at Hagan Arena, St. Joseph’s was in a defensive battle with Duquesne. The Hawks jumped out to a nine-point lead in the game’s first 2½ minutes, but the Dukes’ defense clamped down. By the 8-minute, 3-second mark of the second quarter, that lead was one.

    The Hawks recovered, and behind strong free throw shooting and an 11-2 run, they held a eight-point halftime lead. St. Joe’s pushed its lead into double figures early in the third quarter and never looked back in a 61-46 win.

    “I’m really pleased with the grit and determination that our team came out with today,” Hawks coach Cindy Griffin said. “I thought the beginning of the first and third quarters really set the tone, and it starts with our defense.”

    St. Joe’s coach Cindy Griffin said her team showed “grit and determination” against Duquesne on Wednesday.

    St. Joe’s (18-8, 9-6 Atlantic 10) is riding a three-game winning streak and still competing for a double bye in the A-10 tournament. With three games left in the regular season, the Hawks are tied with Davidson for fourth place, which is the last spot for a double bye.

    Statistical leaders

    Guard Gabby Casey guided the Hawks with 19 points on 7 of 12 shooting along with nine rebounds. Forward Faith Stinson also had a strong performance with 13 points, nine rebounds, and three assists. She was key a factor on defense against the Dukes’ taller frontcourt.

    “I really just took what we have been working on in practice, like slowing down and assessing what the defense is giving me,” Stinson said. “Then, using my multiple post moves to get around the defender and score from the easiest angle.”

    Faith Stinson finished with 13 points and was a key factor on defense Wednesday night.

    The Hawks weren’t efficient — they were 20-for-54 from the field — but made 7 of 18 three-point attempts. Their defense stepped up and held Duquesne (9-17, 2-13) to 31% from the field and forced 13 turnovers. Guard Mackenzie Blackford led the Dukes with 16 points.

    Coasting in the second half

    St. Joe’s made four of its first five shots in its game-opening 9-0 run. But offense became hard to come by after that, opening the door for the Dukes. St. Joe’s struggled to get open looks went more than six minutes without a point, which allowed Duquesne to take a 16-15 lead at the 8:03 mark of the second quarter.

    The Hawks regained control, and Casey scored seven points in the 11-2 run to close the half. St. Joe’s entered the locker room with a 29-21 advantage, extended its lead to 37-27 midway through the third quarter, and never allowed Duquesne back within single digits, largely thanks to sharp free-throw shooting an timely threes.

    Gabby Casey throws the ball towards the net. St. Joe’s made 7 of 18 three-pointers on Wednesday.

    “Nobody really panics,” Griffin said. “I think they trust each other. They trust what we’re doing as a team, and they know that if we just persevere and if we are relentless about what we’re doing on both ends of the floor and stay connected, we know that we’re going to come out of those slumps a little bit.”

    Strong free-throw shooting

    The teams had nearly identical shooting splits from the field and at the three-point line in the first half, but the Hawks held a halftime advantage because they shot 7-for-8 on free throws, while the Dukes did not make a free throw in the first 20 minutes. Overall, St. Joe’s went 14-for-16 on free throws and Duquesne was 3-for-5.

    Aleah Snead gets ready to shoot a free throw against Duquesne on Wednesday.

    “When you’re talking about a low-scoring game and the shooting percentage wasn’t great, you have to find different ways to score,” Griffin said. “Getting to the free-throw line and making free throws, we talked about it all year, layups and free throws.”

    Up next

    St. Joe’s will visit St. Louis (11-17, 5-10 A-10) on Saturday (3 p.m., ESPN+).

  • Before Alexis Eberz begins her journey at Villanova, she has unfinished business with Archbishop Carroll

    Before Alexis Eberz begins her journey at Villanova, she has unfinished business with Archbishop Carroll

    Alexis Eberz knew she wanted play in the Big East. So when it came down to deciding between Maruqette or Villanova, the Archbishop Carroll senior guard did what most high schoolers do: she asked for her mother’s advice.

    “I just told her to pray on it,” said Michelle Eberz, Alexis’ mother.

    Her advice came at the perfect time. It was the end of Eberz’s junior year, and she was about to embark on a religious retreat called “Kairos,” which was hosted by Carroll. It was a four-day, three-night retreat at the Malvern Retreat House with no cell phones. It was the perfect opportunity for Eberz to reflect on where she wanted to play college basketball.

    “I said, ‘Alexis, listen to me. Go to Kairos and pray on it. You will find your answer,’” Michele said. “And, honestly, it was almost like the pressure melted off her.”

    Eberz decided on Villanova and signed with the team in November. Besides getting to play in the Big East, Villanova has always felt like home, which stems for her parents. Michele and her husband, Eric, played basketball on the Main Line and exposed their daughter to the school at a young age.

    However, Alexis has forged her own connection to the program and is ready to take her game to the next level. But first, the senior has some unfinished business to take care of at Carroll.

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    This season, Eberz is averaging 17.5 points and was named Catholic League MVP. The Patriots will face Cardinal O’Hara on Sunday at the Palestra in the Catholic League final, marking their third consecutive appearance. The last time Carroll won a PCL title was in 2019.

    No stranger to ’Nova

    Long before she picked up a basketball, Villanova has been part of Eberz’s life.

    “It’s a parent’s dream that she’s actually not only at [our] alma mater, but so close to home,” Michele said. “So many people know her already before she even steps on campus.”

    Alexis Eberz added: “I’m really close with Maddy Siegrist. I would shoot with her and do workouts with her [and former coach] Harry Perretta.”

    Learning from Siegrist, Villanova’s all-time leading scorer for men and women, contributed to Eberz wanting to play for Villanova. But it wasn’t the only factor.

    “I was around Villanova at such a young age,” Eberz said. “And then I never really went away from it. You’re never going to get that tight-knit community anywhere else. It’s awesome. The players, the coaching staff, everyone’s so nice. That really stuck out to me.”

    Plus, Villanova coach Denise Dillon viewed Eberz as an elite addition to the roster.

    “I think [what stood out to us] was a combination of the tangibles and intangibles,” Dillon said. “The tangibles being her ability to make shots. She’s a great shooter, great passer, moves well without the ball. The intangibles [being] her toughness. I just think she is a competitor. She doesn’t care who it is: post player, perimeter player, she’s going to battle.”

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    It also doesn’t hurt that Dillon has been longtime friends and former teammates with Michele.

    Their time also overlapped at Villanova from 1993 to 1995. During Michele’s senior season, the Wildcats went 19-9 overall and 13-5 in the Big East.

    “The years I played with Denise, we really grew as a team and friends,” Michele said.

    Alexis Eberz was named Catholic League MVP this season.

    The two even are in a group chat with old teammates.

    But Michele and Eric were careful to stay out of their daughter’s recruiting process. They wanted their daughter to make the decision for herself, even if they were rooting for her to be a Wildcat.

    “A coach is going to be hard on you on the basketball court, but [Villanova] also cares a lot about developing players into a young woman or becoming successful in school,” said Eric, who played at Villanova from 1992 to 1996. “You know that your coach’s job is to help kids find their path in life, too, and I think Denise does a great job at that.”

    ‘A really good teammate’

    Alexis Eberz has had quite an accomplished career with the Patriots.

    During her junior year, she averaged 17.6 points and earned first-team All-State honors. She also was named first-team All-Philadelphia Catholic League, first-team All-Delaware County, and scored her 1,000th career point.

    “When [Alexis] was a freshman, she was a very good shooter and had a great IQ for the game,” Archbishop Carroll coach Renie Shields said. “What she’s progressed into was a really good teammate [who] understands more about the game, and that’s just what her continual growth has been: increasing her skill set, shooting, ballhandling, and then now it’s movement without the ball and how to find openings for herself and her teammates.”

    The Eberz sisters make up 60% of Archbishop Carroll’s starting five. For them, basketball is a family tradition.

    She’s one of the senior leaders this season, alongside Ursinus pledge Bridget Grant, who happens to be Dillon’s niece and Eberz’s best friend. Also on the roster are Eberz’s younger twin sisters, Kelsey and Kayla, who are sophomores.

    “It’s awesome,” Eberz said. “It’s been surreal. It’s so special getting the chance to play with my sisters. I’m also really blessed, because some people don’t get a chance to play with their younger sisters, so I’ve been really grateful to have that chance.”

    With Grant and her sisters, Eberz is leading Carroll to a memorable season, as the team is 19-5 entering Sunday’s matchup. While the Palestra is an arena filled with history and tradition, for Eberz, it represents redemption.

    Archbishop Carroll will face Cardinal O’Hara in the Catholic League girls’ basketball final on Sunday.

    The Patriots have been to the PCL final the past two seasons, but lost both years.

    “There’s no other option,” Eberz said. “I have to win.”

    With one final shot at a PCL title, Eberz is looking to rewrite her team’s story.

    “Obviously we have a target on our back, being undefeated. … but I think that also gives us more of a reason to want it more,” she said. “It’s just the fact that we played so hard all season, and we beat all the teams so that we can get to this point. I think it just makes us want it more.”

  • What did Villanova learn in its loss to No. 1 UConn? The game truly is ‘four quarters.’

    What did Villanova learn in its loss to No. 1 UConn? The game truly is ‘four quarters.’

    It would be unfair to call Wednesday night’s Big East clash between Villanova and No. 1 Connecticut anything other than what it ultimately was: a litmus test for the Wildcats.

    Villanova may sit in second place in a demanding Big East, but in Wednesday’s game against UConn, the Wildcats once were again looking up at a Geno Auriemma-coached Huskies program, which entered Finneran Pavilion undefeated with 27 wins.

    Technically, make that 43 regular-season games, if you consider the Huskies haven’t lost since last February when, as the No. 1 team in the land, they suffered a four-point upset against then-No. 19 Tennessee.

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    A perennial power team in a power conference, Villanova wasn’t just playing the women wearing the Huskies’ deep blue on the other side of the floor; it was playing to prove itself against UConn’s stature, its reputation.

    And, if we’re being honest, the result of UConn’s tens of millions in NIL funding, ready for distribution.

    Villanova coach Denise Dillon approaches UConn coach Geno Auriemma following Wednesday’s game between the two at Finneran Pavilion.

    In her six years as head coach, Denise Dillon has never made concessions for her team after it came up short against UConn, time and time again.

    But if she wants this year’s Wildcats to dance far into March, their performance has to match what was on display in the first half on Wednesday night. And look a heck of a lot better than a second-half fallout that resulted in an 83-69 loss.

    “Honestly, give them credit. [UConn] stuck to their game plan,” Dillon said. “I think we let up on what we needed to do … miss a possession here or there, they’re going to take advantage.

    “And that’s what happened.”

    Villanova’s Ryanne Allen (left) is held back by UConn’s Sarah Strong during their game on Wednesday. Strong finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds.

    Don’t sleep on the Wildcats

    Villanova (21-6, 14-4 Big East) looked like a true contender in the first eight minutes. The Wildcats held a one-point lead at the first television timeout with 4 minutes, 38 seconds remaining and went into halftime up three.

    It marked the only time UConn (28-0, 17-0) has trailed at halftime this season and one of its longest deficits, with the Wildcats ahead for 16:10 of the first half, compared to just 2:09 for the Huskies.

    “How we started the game was unacceptable,” said UConn guard Azzi Fudd, who finished with a team-high 25 points. “We need to be able to start the game strong, play the full 40, and not take the game or a team for granted. I think they proved we cannot overlook anyone.”

    One player UConn certainly couldn’t overlook was Jasmine Bascoe, who had a game-high 26 points and was a rebound shy of a double-double. She got help from Denae Carter (21 points) and freshman Kennedy Henry, who finished with nine, but played one of her best games of the season.

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    “If it weren’t for my two girls [Fudd and forward Sarah Strong], she’d be the best player in the Big East, hands down,” said Auriemma, who lauded Bascoe’s performance. “Just an amazing talent, and she made it really tough for us tonight.”

    Villanova’s Jasmine Bascoe signals one of her four made three-pointers in Wednesday’s game against UConn.

    Lessons learned

    The reason UConn is No. 1 — besides having one of the most dominant players in women’s college basketball in Strong — is an ability to grind out wins.

    Speaking of Strong, while she finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds, the Wildcats frustrated the sophomore enough that by the third quarter, she was in danger of fouling out. She kept her composure and aided the Huskies in outscoring Villanova, 46-29, in the second half.

    Strong and Fudd did what they do, but in the end, turnovers were the Wildcats’ undoing; UConn scored 28 points off 26 Villanova turnovers.

    Villanova’s Denae Carter has her shot blocked from behind by UConn’s Serah Williams.

    “We talked about it, even at the end of the first quarter,” Dillon said. “I said, ‘Imagine if we’d got 8-10 more shots off in that period, what a difference it could make.’ We just have to focus our attention on taking care of the basketball.”

    Before the game, ESPN bracketologists had Villanova as a bubble team, projected as the No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Judging by last night’s performance, it feels like a pretty fair assessment.

    “The goal is to get to the [Big East] championship game and [get into] March Madness,” Dillon said. “We’re preparing for that every day. We talk to our players about our practice plan, which is to prepare to face a UConn; and if they train that way, you’re going to have a lot of success along the way.”

    On Wednesday night, the Wildcats came close to the type of success that could have landed them in Top 25 polls this time next week.

    That didn’t happen.

    Villanova honors alumni and coach Harry Perretta during its win over Georgetown

    But the consolation? They did more than enough to impress a storied coach who has firsthand experience of what success looks like.

    “They’re a team that will be in the tournament, I think,” Auriemma said. “They’re really well coached. Denise [Dillon] does a tremendous job. You know, this felt like one of those old-school Big East games tonight where you have to grind it out, and that’s usually what it’s like when you play here.”

    Up next

    Villanova will remain in town in preparation for Marquette at the Finn on Sunday (3:30 p.m., Peacock). The Golden Eagles (16-10, 10-7) are coming off a 71-56 Valentine’s Day loss to UConn and will look to snap a three-game losing streak.

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    On Saturday, Villanova’s men host No. 5 UConn (24-3, 14-2) at Xfinity Mobile Arena (5:30 p.m., TNT). The Wildcats (21-5, 12-3 Big East) are on a six-game winning streak and are looking to avenge a 75-67 overtime loss against then-No. 2 UConn on Jan. 24.

    Follow the Inquirer’s complete coverage of Villanova athletics right here!