Catching up on college hoops this weekend? Here are the City 6 storylines you need to know

Another full slate of college games is on the docket this weekend coming off a midweek slate that brought its own storylines

by Kerith Gabriel

Published Feb. 4, 2023, 5:00 a.m. ET

Lost in all of the mania that Philly is still a football town with the Eagles headed to Super Bowl LVII is the fact that we are in the thick of basketball season — specifically college basketball season.

Another full weekend of college games is on the docket coming off a midweek slate that brought a ton of story lines of its own (looking at you, Drexel freshman Justin Moore).

For those who could get up to speed, we got you.

Drexel is hooping right now

Justin Moore, the other Justin Moore, is having himself one heck of a month. Fresh off CAA Rookie of the Week honors in the Dragons’ home win against Delaware on Jan. 21, the 6-foot-3 freshman guard from Archbishop Wood arguably placed himself in the running for the second time in less than a month after hitting the game-winning jumper in a 70-69 win over College of Charleston. Drexel beat a Cougars team that dropped just this week out of the men’s Top 25 but still boasted Top 25 votes coming into this one.

Drexel rebounded (pun intended) from an eight-point halftime deficit — fueled by an 18-2 Cougars run, mind you — to take a one-point lead with just 3.5 seconds remaining in regulation.

The win snapped a two-game skid for the Dragons (13-10, 7-4 CAA) who are looking to make it two in a row when it travels to lowly Monmouth on Saturday (2 p.m., NBC Sports Philadelphia) before a monster run-it-back against Delaware (12-12, 4-7) on Wednesday (7 p.m., FloHoops).

Siegrist and Washington no longer a one-two scoring punch

It was a good run.

For much of the season, Villanova’s Maddy Siegrist and Drexel’s Keishana Washington led the nation in scoring, with Iowa stalwart Caitlin Clark nipping at the heels of both. After a ridiculous week of back-to-back 30-plus point performances, Clark surpassed Washington for the No. 2 spot, averaging 27.1 points per game. Washington takes the No. 3 position with 26.8 ppg.

As for Siegrist? She’s on an island as the top scorer in the nation at 28.2 points per game.

Washington has two chances to gain some ground in a pair of weekend road trips. She scored 29 points points Friday in a 67-56 win over Northeastern. The Dragons (16-5, 8-2 CAA), who sit among the leaders in the conference, are back in action tomorrow against Stony Brook (1 p.m.).

Hawks taking flight

With its women’s team having a strong year in Atlantic 10 play, little has been said about the St. Joseph’s men. The Hawks are quietly having a resurgence in conference play as winners in five of its last six including two straight to get back to .500 overall (11-11) and in the A-10 (5-5). Next up, is a La Salle squad looking for back-to-back wins of its own after a 75-64 win over George Washington Wednesday, snapping a five-game skid. Tipoff is set for today inside Hagan Arena (noon, ESPNU).

Richardson’s got something going here

Temple women’s head coach Diane Richardson has had an interesting week. Last week, she dismissed two players off of her team and saw two more depart. Since then, the Owls are winners of three straight, winning by dominant margins. Here’s the kicker: the departures have left just eight players on the active roster.

This week, the Owls have a realistic chance to gain some ground in the conference with upcoming games against Houston (today, 2 p.m.), East Carolina (Wednesday, 6 p.m.), and lowly Cincinnati at home next Saturday (2 p.m.). Only Houston sits above the Owls in conference play with a 5-3 record (8-13 overall).

Watch this this weekend …

Sticking with Temple, Sunday’s nationally televised men’s matchup against No. 3 Houston arguably is the game of the week (6 p.m, ESPN). Temple narrowly upset the then-top-ranked Cougars on the road, 56-55, on Jan. 22. Temple (14-9, 8-2 American) currently ranks No. 2 in the conference. We’re told the lower bowl of the Liacouras Center already is sold out for this one. ... Head coach Kyle Neptune’s Villanova will look to get back to winning ways against Creighton this Saturday ( 7:30 p.m., Fox 29). ... Penn is on a back-to-back in Ivy League play in a game against Cornell at 6 p.m. inside the Palestra. The Quakers beat Columbia, 74-65. … On the women’s side, Siegrist and No. 19 Villanova will look to be winners of two straight in a road test against Butler (2 p.m., FloHoops). The Wildcats picked up their 10th conference win of the season in a 73-54 defeat of Marquette on Wednesday.