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All you need to know about the inaugural women's Big 5 Classic
by Staff Reports
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Villanova’s Finneran Pavilion will be the site for the first-ever installment of the women’s Big 5 Classic. All six teams will be in action this Friday, beginning with the fifth-place game at 3:30 p.m. — the first of three games with the championship set for 8 p.m.
Penn will take on La Salle in the fifth-place game (3:30 p.m.), followed by Drexel vs. St. Joseph’s in the third-place consolation game (5:45 p.m.). It all culminates with Temple and Villanova in the championship game at 8 p.m.
The Inquirer's Paulie Loscalzo takes a look at the teams taking part ahead of Friday's tip-off.
Temple (4-3 overall)
About the Owls...
Head coach: Diane Richardson
Top player: Senior guard Tiarra East (15.3 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game)
About Temple: The Owls showed their ability to win in different ways en route to the Big 5 Classic championship game. They battled for a win over Drexel on Nov. 23 before winning a high-scoring contest against La Salle last Sunday. Anissa Rivera (9.7 ppg, 8.6 rpg.) has also been impactful off the bench.
Villanova (5-3 overall)
About the Wildcats...
Head coach: Denise Dillon
Top player: Freshman guard Jasmine Bascoe (15.4 ppg, 4.6 assists per game)
About Villanova: After losing Lucy Olsen to the transfer portal, it was hard to predict what the Wildcats would look like. So far, the Cats feature a strong offense with balanced contributions from Bascoe, Maddie Webber (12.5 ppg), and Denae Carter (9.0 ppg).
Drexel (3-3 overall)
About the Dragons...
Head coach: Amy Mallon
Top player: Senior guard Amaris Baker (17.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg.)
About Drexel: The Dragons’ scoring has been overly reliant on Baker, but her supporting cast has been rounding into form lately. Deja Evans (10.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg.) has been growing into a pivotal role on both ends of the court, and Chloe Hodges (7.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg., 4.6 apg.) is adjusting to her new role in the offense.
St. Joseph's (5-2 overall)
About the Hawks...
Head coach: Cindy Griffin
Top player: Junior forward Laura Ziegler (18 ppg, 11 rpg.)
About Saint Joseph’s: Led by the dynamic duo of Ziegler and Talya Brugler (18.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg), the Hawks have the best-scoring offense in the Big 5. Mackenzie Smith (14.9 ppg) and Gabby Casey (10.6 ppg) round out a stellar rotation of scorers making the Hawks a handful for any team. They’ll face Drexel in the third-place game.
La Salle (5-4 overall)
About the Explorers...
Head coach: Mountain McGillivray
Top player: Redshirt sophomore guard Ashleigh Connor (11.7 ppg., 5.9 rpg.)
About La Salle: The offense started relatively slow at the beginning of the season, but behind key scoring contributions from several Explorers, including sophomore guard Aryss Macktoon (10.8 ppg.), there has been improved production in the past five games. La Salle has won four of its last five games and looks to continue that momentum in the fifth-place game against Penn.
Penn (6-3 overall)
About the Quakers...
Head coach: Mike McLaughlin
Top Player: Senior forward Stina Almqvist (18.9 ppg., 8.3 rpg.)
About Penn: The Quakers have gotten exceptional production from Almqvist, who has yet to score less than 15 points against Division I competition this season. Sophomore guard Mataya Gayle (13 ppg.) and freshman forward Katie Collins (8.2 ppg., 7.3 rpg.) have also been strong contributors. This young roster has proved itself so far, despite two losses in Big 5 pod play.
