St. Joseph’s, Penn claim wins in the inaugural women’s Big 5 Classic
Quakers freshman guard Sarah Miller had a breakout performance, scoring 18 of her 21 total points in the first half. St. Joe's would capture third place behind a 14-0 fourth-quarter run.
Last Sunday, St. Joseph’s suffered a 16-point loss against Villanova that relegated the Hawks to the third-place game of Friday’s inaugural women’s Big 5 Classic.
Against Drexel, St. Joe’s utilized a 14-0 fourth-quarter run to knock off the Dragons, 69-47, and claim third place on the Wildcats’ home floor. Before the Hawks win, Penn captured the tournament’s first-ever victory, 74-63, over La Salle to claim fifth place. The win gave coach Mike McLaughlin his 250th win with the Quakers.
Villanova and Temple squared off in the championship game.
St. Joe’s displays second-half dominance
The Hawks (6-2) were led by 23 points from senior guard Mackenzie Smith, who shot 10-of-17 to overwhelm the Dragons.
It was Smith’s third 20-point game this season. She fell two points short of her season-best, which she recorded in the Hawks’ 84-70 win over Syracuse.
St. Joe’s junior forward Laura Ziegler added 17 points and seven rebounds, while senior forward Tayla Brugler notched 10 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists. Senior guard Amaris Baker led the Dragons (3-3) with 16.
“A lot of my offense comes from my teammates,” Smith said. “Talya Brugler had nine assists tonight. She knows how to get it there on time and on target, and I give credit to Laura Ziegler, too.”
Brugler’s nine assists were a career high.
“[Brugler] just constantly works,” St. Joe’s coach Cindy Griffin said. “She moves without the ball. She’s the focus of everybody’s defense. You have to know where Brugler is because she’s so mobile and she’s so active.”
The Dragons stayed close in the first half, even as the Hawks rattled off a 10-0 run over 2 minutes, 46 seconds in the first quarter. St. Joe’s led, 35-30, at the half.
However, the Hawks opened the fourth quarter amid a 14-0 burst that ballooned their lead from seven to 21. Ultimately, St. Joe’s outscored Drexel, 18-5, in the final quarter. Ziegler and Smith each had 10 second-half points to separate the Hawks.
“Drexel makes you guard for 30 seconds,” Griffin said. “If you’re not disciplined and you’re not ready to do that, you’re going to get burnt.”
St. Joe’s has a quick turnaround from its Big 5 win. The Hawks host Maine (3-6) on Monday (7 p.m., ESPN+). Drexel has nine days to regroup after its loss. The Dragons travel to Florida State (8-2) on Dec. 15 (2 p.m., ACC Network+).
Penn finds a way
Returning to Villanova’s home court — where they suffered an 80-64 loss on Nov. 20 — the Quakers (7-3) flipped the script with their win over La Salle (5-5).
“This is just a great event, and I’m glad the Big 5 put this together and brought all the schools together, especially on the women’s side, to connect the city,” McLaughlin said. “I was happy that we found a way to win tonight.”
Penn freshman guard Sarah Miller posted a breakout performance, finishing the first half with 18 points and beating her season-high of 16 points against Immaculata on Nov. 26. She finished with 21 points on 6-for-7 shooting.
» READ MORE: All you need to know about the inaugural women's Big 5 Classic
La Salle redshirt sophomore guard Ashleigh Connor scored 13 points, and sophomore guard Aryss Macktoon had 12 to lead the Explorers. Connor, a St. Louis transfer, is La Salle’s leading scorer and one of 13 players who joined the team this season.
The teams battled for control in a tightly contested first half, with senior guard Stina Almqvist’s layup securing an 11-9 Penn advantage at the close of the first quarter.
But the Quakers entered halftime with a 34-30 lead, fueled by Miller’s late surge, which included a clutch three-pointer and four free throws in the final 2:11 of the second quarter.
Penn took control in the third quarter, building a double-digit lead with an impressive 9-of-14 shooting performance. In contrast, La Salle managed just 4-of-19 from the field.
The Quakers maintained their momentum in the fourth quarter. A three-point play by sophomore guard Mataya Gayle with 2:40 remaining pushed Penn’s advantage to 19 points — its largest margin of the game.
“We’re happy to be a part of [the Big 5 Classic] and looking forward to finishing higher next year,” La Salle head coach Mountain MacGillivray said. “There’s just so much more room to grow.”
Penn returns to the Palestra to face Delaware State on Dec. 20 (11:30 a.m., ESPN+), while La Salle will host Chestnut Hill College at 6 p.m. on Dec. 13.