WBB Notes - 12.27.19
League Lid Lifters
BIG EAST play for all 10 women’s basketball teams begins on Sunday, including a trio of tilts at 2 p.m. ET and one nationally televised contest. Providence visits Villanova at 4 p.m. in a game airing on FS1, while Seton Hall-Butler, -/RV Creighton-Georgetown and St. John’s-Xavier all tip off the day at 2 p.m. A rematch of the last three BIG EAST Championship title games will cap off opening night at 5 p.m. when -/RV Marquette travels to No. 16/16 DePaul. All BIG EAST women’s basketball league games that are not slated for national television will stream on the BIG EAST Digital Network presented by SoFi. BEDN teamed up with Caffeine, a new social broadcasting platform for live sports, gaming, and esports, to carry Olympic sports championships and events, including a plethora of women’s basketball. In addition to appearing on Caffeine, BEDN events will be co-streamed on YouTube Live via the conference’s official YouTube Channel.
Why We’re Watching …
Seton Hall at Butler, 2 p.m. (Twitter | YouTube | Caffeine): The Hall and Bulldogs have split the season series the last three years, with Butler winning Game 1 and SHU winning Game 2 of the year each time. Both squads have new looks from a year ago but return some pivotal pieces – for Butler, it’s Kristen Spolyar. The senior guard ranks second in the BIG EAST in scoring at 19.0 points per game. For the Pirates, it’s Shadeen Samuels. Samuels missed nearly five non-conference games with an injury, but the BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year has averaged 16.0 points and 5.7 rebounds since returning. The Hall ranks third in the BIG EAST in scoring at 71.4 points per game, while Butler lists fourth at 67.9.
-/RV Creighton at Georgetown, 2 p.m. (Twitter | YouTube | Caffeine): The Bluejays had an impressive non-conference showing and played the hardest strength of schedule in the BIG EAST at No. 14. Creighton graduated some big pieces, particularly in Audrey Faber, but haven’t shown any sign of slowing down thanks to the emergence of Tatum Rembao and consistent play of Jaylyn Agnew. Rembao has doubled her scoring average from a year ago (11.0 from 5.5) while Agnew leads Creighton at 17.9 per game. The Hoyas have been dealt some tough blows in the non-conference, suffering five single-digit losses and three by a single basket. Just like Creighton, Georgetown graduated some pivotal pieces – Dorothy Adomako and Dionna White averaged a combined 33.5 points per game last year. The new-look Hoyas have gotten an added boost from Memphis transfer Taylor Barnes who averages a team-high 11.4 points per game.
St. John’s at Xavier, 2 p.m. (Twitter | YouTube | Caffeine): Conference play will serve as a fresh start for Xavier, which struggled in non-league play after winning its season opener over Utah. The Musketeers are under first-year head coach Melanie Moore, who has the added benefit of A’riana Gray on her young roster. Gray is the BIG EAST’s reigning rebounding champ and picked up right where she left off last season, currently leading the league with 10.4 boards per game. All four of the Red Storm’s setbacks in non-conference were by single digits, including a narrow four-point decision at No. 8/8 Florida State. Newcomer Leilani Correa has been a highlight reel, reaching the 30-point mark twice so far and averaging 15.1 points per game. Qadashah Hoppie leads the team, however, and ranks seventh in the BIG EAST at 16.2 per contest. St. John’s was picked second in the coaches’ preseason poll, its highest since 2015, and has the roster to do that and more this year.
Providence at Villanova, 4 p.m. (FS1): The Friars are coming off their most successful season in a decade and the young squad will look to continue that trend into conference play. Led by reigning BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Mary Baskerville, PC won eight of its first nine in 2019-20 before stumbling a bit in New Mexico prior to the holiday break. Baskerville is averaging 13.3 points, 8.4 rebounds this season and will face a tall task on Sunday. Someone who hopes to have her name on that top rookie trophy like Baskerville, Maddy Siegrist has been a standout so far in her first season at Villanova. She had the highest scoring game by any BIG EAST player since 2012-13 when she dropped 41 points at La Salle last week, and has twice been named national freshman of the week by the USBWA. Siegrist is the BIG EAST’s leading scorer at 22.0 per game and is part of a potent tag team with senior Mary Gedaka. Gedaka, daughter of 1988 BIG EAST Player of the Year Lisa Angelotti, is averaging 16.8 points and 5.6 rebounds. Siegrist and Gedaka have led a shorthanded Villanova squad to a 5-5 mark in what is 42-year head coach Harry Perretta’s final season at the helm.
-/RV Marquette at 16/16 DePaul, 5 p.m. (Twitter | YouTube | Caffeine): A rematch of the last three BIG EAST Championship title games, this one will look different than recent meetings. Marquette graduated five 1,000-point scorers and has a new head coach on the sideline with a new style of play, but after getting picked ninth in the coaches’ preseason poll, the Golden Eagles are out to show how they were grossly overlooked. MU is No. 45 in the latest NCAA RPI (DePaul is No. 8) and the once-bench players that played behind those graduated standouts have shined now that they’re in the spotlight. Selena Lott is averaging 15.1 points per game, leading Marquette to a 9-2 non-conference record – second-best in the BIG EAST behind its Sunday opponent. The Blue Demons are atop the standings at 10-2 despite playing a rigorous non-conference schedule which featured the likes of UConn, Notre Dame and Oregon State. DePaul’s style hasn’t changed as “DePaul Ball” is No. 3 in the nation in scoring and will look to attack the scoreboard once again with its longtime rival. Marquette aims to exact some revenge against the Blue Demons and their leader, Chante Stonewall, who provided the game-winning and-one in last year’s championship game en route to being named the tourney’s Most Outstanding Player. Stonewall is averaging 18.1 points per game.
Upcoming Schedule
Sunday
Seton Hall at Butler, 2 p.m.*^
-/RV Creighton at Georgetown, 2 p.m.*^
St. John’s at Xavier, 2 p.m.*^
Providence at Villanova, 4 p.m.*#
-/RV Marquette at 16/16 DePaul, 5 p.m.*^
Tuesday
Providence at Georgetown, 1 p.m.*^
Seton Hall at Xavier, 1 p.m.*^
-/RV Creighton at Villanova, 1 p.m.*^
St. John’s at Butler, 4 p.m.*^
Friday
Villanova at Seton Hall, 1 p.m.*^
16/16 DePaul at Providence, 6:30 p.m.*!
Georgetown at St. John’s 7 p.m.*^
-/RV Marquette at -/RV Creighton, 8 p.m.*^
Saturday
Butler at Xavier, 2 p.m.*^
Sunday
Georgetown at Seton Hall, 1 p.m.*^
-/RV Marquette at Providence, 1 p.m.*^
Villanova at St. John’s, 2 p.m.*+
16/16 DePaul at -/RV Creighton, 2 p.m.*^
All times Eastern
*BIG EAST contest
^BEDN
#FS1
!FS2
+CBSSN