Streaking Duquesne, Hyduke excels and more around Atlantic 10

Catch up on what has happened in the first few weeks of the season

With teams across the country finishing their finals, the final stretch of the nonconference season lies in front of them.

All 14 teams in the Atlantic 10 have had their highs and lows in the first six weeks of the season.

Standings and statistics as of 12/16

Duquesne (9-2)
UMass (8-3)
Rhode Island (7-3)
Saint Louis (7-3)
Davidson (7-4)
George Washington (6-4)
La Salle (6-4)
Richmond (6-4)
Fordham (6-5)
Dayton (5-5)
Mason (4-5)
Saint Joseph’s (4-5)
VCU (4-6)
St. Bonaventure (2-8)

Duquesne

Big Win: Pitt (81-62 on Nov. 23)

Tough loss: Kent State (77-75 on Nov. 5)

Remaining nonconference test: At Oklahoma State (Dec. 30 at 2 p.m.)

After losing the first two games of their season against Kent State and Temple, the Dukes have won nine straight games.

However, Duquesne may struggle at the start of conference play as they have to play three of the top seven teams in their first seven days.

The Dukes are led by Libby Bazelak, Laia Sole and Amanda Kalin who are all averaging at least 12 points per game. Additionally, Bazelak is second in the conference in three-point percentage and is third in made threes.

While the team averages nearly eight made threes per game, they make just 67.1 percent of their free-throw attempts.

UMass

Big Win: Holy Cross (75-72, Dec. 8)

Tough loss: Merrimack (79-64, Nov. 5, Merrimack’s first Division I win)

Remaining nonconference test: None

UMass’ only quality win came at against Holy Cross and it is their only win against a team that currently has a winning record.

The team will be challenged as their first conference opponent is Duquesne.

Hailey Leidel leads her team and is second in the conference in scoring with 17.5 points per game. She also leads the conference with 3.2 made threes per game.

Maeve Donnelly leads the conference with a dominant 3.6 blocks per game, good for fifth in the country.

The Minutewomen have a multipronged scoring attack, with six players averaging at least six points per game. This versatility will serve them well in conference play.

Rhode Island

Big Win: Holy Cross (73-58, Dec. 4)

Tough loss: North Dakota (67-61, Nov. 15)

Remaining nonconference test: At Harvard (Dec. 30 at 6:30 p.m.)

The Rams have nearly matched this season’s win total just six weeks into the season. The rebuilding campaign is going well in that regard.

Rhode Island leads the conference in both total rebounds and defensive rebounds per game. However, the team is second to last in team free throw percentage.

While rebounds are critical, the team will need to take advantage of “free points” when they have the opportunity in what will almost certainly be a competitive conference.

Nicole Jorgensen is fourth in the conference in scoring (15.3) and sixth in rebounds (7.7) per game. Davida Dale is second in the conference in rebounds, grabbing 8.5 per game while also leading the conference in steals (2.7) and assists (4.7).

Saint Louis

Big Win: Colgate (61-51, Nov. 24)

Tough loss: Missouri (83-58, Dec. 5)

Remaining nonconference tests: Princeton (Dec. 20) and Kansas Dec. 22

Saint Louis does not really have a bad loss and has a chance to make two statements prior to conference play. Even if the Billikens go 1-1 against Princeton and Kansas it will capture the attention of the entire conference.

The Billikens are third in the conference in free throw percentage and make 13.4 of their 17.5 attempts per game.

Ciaja Harbison, Kendra Wilken, Rachel Kent and Clark Myia all average at least nine points per game.

Wilken, Myriama Smith Traore and Brooke Flowers all average at least seven rebounds per game.

The multifaceted attack will prove helpful for Saint Louis as they wrap up nonconference play and begin conference play at home against Davidson on Jan. 4.

Davidson

Big Win: UC Irvine (78-72, Nov. 15)

Tough loss: Columbia (63-60, Dec. 9)

Remaining nonconference test: Charlotte (Dec. 21 at 1 p.m.)

Davidson is lacking a true quality win and it may cause them to struggle as they face Charlotte and Saint Louis within two weeks.

Suzi-Rose Deegan leads the team with 14.6 points per game, with Sarah Donavan close behind with 13.0 points per game.

Katie Turner is second in the conference in made threes per game, and is third on the team in scoring, averaging 10.4 points per game. Turner also has the second-best assist to turnover ratio in the conference.

The Wildcats are third in the league in scoring, something that will be crucial as nonconference play turns into conference play.

George Washington

Big Win: Memphis (64-63, Nov. 17)

Tough loss: Lehigh (59-53, Nov. 13)

Remaining nonconference test: James Madison (Dec. 20 at 7 p.m.)

The Colonials have yet to lose to a “bad” team, however, they also have yet to beat a team in the top third of the country in RPI, despite playing four of them. Memphis is also the only team GW has beaten with a winning record at this point in the season.

Tori Hyduke is second on the team in scoring, averaging 13.2 points per game. She is third in the conference in three-point percentage, knocking down 48.9 percent of her shots from behind the arc. Hyduke knocks down 2.3 a game. This is a tremendous help to the Colonials who lead the conference in three-point percentage.

Kayla Mokwuah is tenth in the conference averaging 1.6 blocks per game.

La Salle

Big Win: Harvard (75-69, Nov. 15).

Tough loss: Navy (61-46, Dec. 1)

Remaining nonconference test: Temple (Dec. 30 at 7 p.m.)

La Salle has already matched last season’s win total and it is barely mid-December. The Explorers have accomplished this behind freshman Claire Jacobs. The Australian averages 10.0 points and 2.1 rebounds per game.

Seven Explorers are averaging at least 4.5 points per game. This depth will continue to help them as La Salle looks to continue to surpass last season’s win total.

Shalina Miller is fourth in the conference in rebounds per game (7.9) and second in blocked shots per game (2.4). This dominance will be important as conference play begins and Miller is forced to battle against talented centers and forwards nearly every game.

Richmond

Big Win: William & Mary (76-73, Nov. 20)

Tough loss: Furman (70-69, Dec. 8)

Remaining nonconference test: At Old Dominion (Dec. 19 at 5 p.m.)

With four games left in nonconference play, the Spiders have already doubled their total of nonconference wins. This improvement has been led by Kate Klimkiewicz and Jaide Hinds-Clarke combining for more than 22 points per game.

Hinds-Clarke is also the second in the conference in steals averaging 2.4 per game.

The team will face a challenge in playing three games in three days in the Anne Donovan Classic (Dec. 19-21), however, the tournament experience will certainly help the young team continue to develop.

Unfortunately, the Spiders have the worst field goal defense percentage in the conference. This will be a challenge come conference play as there are many teams in the league that can shoot the ball.

Fordham

Big Win: Charlotte (76-51, Nov. 24)

Tough loss: Penn State (72-59, Nov. 13)

Remaining nonconference test: None

The Rams have won six of their last seven after starting out 0-4. Bre Cavanaugh is once again leading Fordham in scoring and is near the top of the conference in scoring, third with 16.8 points per game.

Cavanaugh can do it all and is averaging 6.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. However, she isn’t the only one who can score.

Anna DeWolfe, Kendell Heremaia and Kaitlyn Downey are all also averaging at least 11.0 points per game.

Downey is also ninth in the conference averaging 1.3 blocks per game.

The multiple scoring threats will benefit the Rams if/when Cavanaugh ever has an off night.

Dayton

Big Win: None (Best win was 71-60 against Northeastern on Nov. 16)

Tough loss: None, five quality losses to South Carolina, UConn, Gonzaga, Central Michigan and Auburn

Remaining nonconference test: Buffalo (Dec. 17 at 7 p.m.)

Dayton created a daunting nonconference schedule, making the team’s record less shocking when you look below the surface. However, there is little evidence to show how the team will respond in conference games when they play teams of a quality in the middle of what they have already played.

Erin Whalen and Jayla Scaife both average more than 12 points per game, good for twelfth and fourteenth in the conference. Both also average more than five rebounds per game.

Dayton has made just 36 percent of their field goals so far this season, second worst in the conference, and 30.8 percent of their threes, fourth worst in the conference. Both numbers will need to improve if the Flyers will be successful in conference play.

George Mason

DISLAIMER: I am currently a student at Mason

Big Win: Penn State (Nov. 24, 78-68)

Tough loss: Bucknell (64-51, Dec. 4)

Remaining nonconference test: At SMU (Dec. 31 at 3 p.m.)

The Patriots loss to Bucknell may not look the worst on paper, however, it was the team’s fourth loss in a row, a losing streak that dropped the team from 4-1 to 4-5, and one that literally left head coach Nyla Milleson uncharacteristically speechless.

While the roster is being reevaluated, Mason will get to see Vita Stam, who played her first game Dec. 4 less than 48 hours after receiving word she was eligible, get more minutes as nonconference play wraps up.

Stam had six points and six rebounds in her debut in 20 minutes.

The Patriots are still being led by star point guard Nicole Cardaño-Hillary, who leads the conference in scoring with 17.8 points per game. She has been less consistent this season and the team has struggled to succeed without her also doing well.

According to Her Hoop Stats Mason scores 22.1 percent of their points from the free-throw line, 42nd in the country. This is in part due to Cardaño-Hillary and Jacy Bolton both making 80 percent of their free throws.

Mason will need to bounce back, and continue to get to the free-throw line, if they are going to turn their season around.

Saint Joseph’s

Big Win: Temple (67-63, Nov. 11)

Tough loss: Villanova (60-44, Dec. 7)

Remaining nonconference test: Harvard (Dec. 20 at 4 p.m.)

Six Hawks average between six and eleven points per game. This balanced scoring attack may be helpful in that the team has many scoring threats, however, it also means there is not someone to take over the game if the team needs it.

Despite starting just one game and playing 18 minutes per game, freshman Gabby Smalls leads the team and is tenth in the conference in rebounds, averaging 6.9 per game. She also adds 7.3 points per game, fourth on the team, even with her limited minutes. It should surprise no one if she gets more minutes in conference play.

VCU

Big Win: Old Dominion (62-49, Dec. 15)

Tough loss: William & Mary (69-55, Dec. 8)

Remaining nonconference test: At Middle Tennessee (Dec. 18 at 7:30 p.m.)

Despite not losing much of last season’s team VCU has struggled in nonconference play. The Rams are ranked last in the conference in scoring averaging just 54.5 points per game.

Danielle Hammond is second in the team in scoring, averaging 10.5 points per game, however, she is first in the conference in field goal percentage, knocking down 65.5 percent of her attempts. Despite her impressive scoring, she averages 22.7 minutes per game and has started just one game this season.

Hammond is also fourth in the conference in blocks, averaging nearly two per game. VCU’s success in conference play may rest on her success.

St. Bonaventure

Big Win: None (Both wins come from teams with an RPI worse than 200)

Tough loss: Canisius (84-82, Nov. 17)

Remaining nonconference test: Saint Mary’s (CA) (Dec. 21 at 11 a.m.)

The Bonnies snapped an eight-game losing streak and picked up their second win of the season against Oakland on Dec. 15.

Despite this lackluster start, St. Bonaventure has a bright spot in freshman Olivia Brown, who was named A-10 WBB Rookie of the Week for the second time on Dec. 16 after putting up 24 points on 9-10 shooting, including 6-7 from three, as well as grabbing 4 rebounds, and three assists.

Brown, who has started four games and averages 23.4 minutes per game, averages 8.4 points. 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.

In order to improve as conference play approaches the Bonnies will need to improve its defense, as they are last in the conference in opponents scoring and fourth worse in opponents field goal percentage.

Love our 24/7 women’s basketball coverage? Join our Patreon now and support this work, while getting extra goodies and subscriber-only content for yourself.