#BIGEASTwbb Minute: Full BEDN Slate On Sunday
WBB Notes - 2.1 Update
Up Next
Four more BIG EAST women’s basketball games are on the docket for Sunday, with all four streaming on the BIG EAST Digital Network presented by SoFi. Friday night winners Seton Hall and Villanova tip off the day at 1 p.m. ET, followed by a pair of 2 p.m. tilts when St. John’s visits Georgetown and Providence travels to No. 11/12 DePaul. Marquette hosts Creighton at 3 p.m. to round out the day’s action.
Why We’re Watching …
Seton Hall at Villanova, 1 p.m. (Caffeine | YouTube): As they’ve done to so many, the Wildcats frustrated the Pirates when they met earlier this season, holding The Hall to just 55 points in a 61-55 Villanova victory on Jan. 3 in South Orange. Mary Gedaka and Maddy Siegrist combined for 38 points and 17 rebounds in that matchup, while VU got an added boost from Bridget Herlihy who chipped in 11 points and four assists. While Gedaka and Siegrist are all over the scouting report, it may be Raven James who tilts the scale in favor of Villanova. The Wildcats are 9-1 on the year when James scores at least six points. BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year Shadeen Samuels had one of her three double-doubles on the year when SHU faced Villanova earlier this season. The senior has been looking more like herself lately, averaging 18.5 points and 7.5 rebounds over the last four outings – a stretch in which the Pirates are 3-1. The Hall is 9-3 on the season when Samuels scores in double figures.
St. John’s at Georgetown, 2 p.m. (Caffeine | YouTube): The Red Storm saw their winning streak snapped at three games Friday night in overtime at Villanova despite a season-high 21 points from Alissa Alston – the most she’s scored in a St. John’s uniform. Alston has flourished in BIG EAST play, increasing her scoring average by nearly three points while completely flipping her assist-turnover ratio from 0.7 to 1.9. She had 12 points and six dimes when St. John’s beat Georgetown in Queens earlier this year. The Hoyas were shorthanded in Friday’s setback to Seton Hall, but Nikola Kovacikova did all she could to keep them in the game with 20 points and 12 rebounds. She scored a team-high 15 points against St. John’s in January. Through 10 BIG EAST games, Kovacikova leads the conference in three-point accuracy, knocking down 50 percent of her attempts from deep (18-36). She’ll face the league’s second-ranked three-point field goal defense, as the Red Storm limit BIG EAST foes to just a .304 clip from long range.
Providence at 11/12 DePaul, 2 p.m. (Caffeine | YouTube): Both squads are coming off Friday setbacks and will look to bounce back Sunday afternoon at Wintrust Arena – the site of the 2020 BIG EAST Tournament. The Friars hung with the Blue Demons for the majority of the game when they met in January in the Ocean State before DePaul pulled away late thanks to a pair of 20-point scorers in Dee Bekelja (20) and Sonya Morris (21). Morris will look to bounce back after a tough shooting night on Friday, and will aim to look more like the player which scored 30 points just eight days ago. A key for Providence on Sunday will be to limit the turnovers – they’re 4-2 when winning the turnover battle. Mary Baskerville had 11 points in Friday’s setback at Marquette, but dropped 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds against DePaul earlier this season.
Creighton at Marquette, 3 p.m. (Caffeine | YouTube): The Bluejays are coming off one of the biggest wins in program history with Friday’s victory at No. 11/12 DePaul. Creighton did so without leading scorer Jaylyn Agnew, who missed her fourth straight game. Olivia Elger took the reins and scored a career-high 28 points in Chicago. Agnew’s status is up in the air, but it’ll obviously be better for Creighton with her in the lineup at Marquette after the senior scored a game-high 27 to lead the Bluejays over the Golden Eagles earlier this season. A trio of MU players scored 12 points apiece against Creighton in January, including Selena Lott who also scored a game-high 18 points in Friday’s win over Providence. Along with DePaul – Creighton and Marquette have posted the BIG EAST’s three best NCAA RPIs all season. Entering Sunday’s tilt, the Bluejays leapfrogged the Golden Eagles for the BIG EAST’s second-best ranking at No. 29, while MU sits at No. 36. DePaul remains the leader at No. 19.
Up Next
Sunday
Seton Hall at Villanova, 1 p.m.*^
St. John’s at Georgetown, 2 p.m.*^
Providence at 11/12 DePaul, 2 p.m.*^
Creighton at Marquette, 3 p.m.*^
All times Eastern
*BIG EAST contest
^BEDN