Gedaka, Correa Earn #BIGEASTwbb Weekly Awards
BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Player of the Week
Mary Gedaka, Villanova, Sr., F
Gedaka sparked the Wildcats to a 2-0 weekend against Marquette and No. 12/12 DePaul, shooting 64 percent from the field to average 19.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists. No team has swept the Marquette-DePaul weekend series since the 2015-16 season, when Villanova did it on the road, Jan. 8 and Jan. 10, 2016. Gedaka had a game-high 21 points in Friday’s win over the Golden Eagles, adding three rebounds and a pair of assists. In Sunday’s win over the 12
th-ranked Blue Demons, the senior tallied 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists as Villanova knocked off its highest-ranked opponent since topping No. 11 Duke 64-55 on Nov. 19, 2017 in Jake Nevin Field House.
BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Freshman of the Week
Leilani Correa, St. John’s, Fr., G
Correa reached the 30-point mark for the third time this season, scoring a game-high 32 points in Saturday’s win over Seton Hall to clinch the season sweep of the Pirates. The rookie shot nearly 61 percent from the field, making 14-of-23 attempts, while grabbing six rebounds, collecting three steals and dishing two assists. Correa is one of two BIG EAST players with three 30-point games this season, along with Creighton senior Jaylyn Agnew. Correa’s 32 points were five off the BIG EAST single-game rookie record of 37, set by Providence’s Kerri Chatten in 1995.
BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Weekly Honor Roll
Kristen Spolyar, Butler, Sr., G
Spolyar moved to fifth on the Butler all-time scoring list this weekend by scoring 20 points in Friday’s win over Creighton. She added 13 points, six boards, three steals and an assist against Providence to average 16.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals in the pivotal 2-0 weekend. Spolyar set a Butler single-season record for free throws as well, totaling 153 made freebies and counting in 2019-20.
Jaylyn Agnew, Creighton, Sr., F
Agnew averaged 21.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and .548 shooting in a 1-1 road swing for the Bluejays. Her weekend was highlighted by a 29-point, 10-rebound double-double in Sunday’s win at Xavier.
Chante Stonewall, DePaul, Sr., F
Stonewall averaged 18.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals in a 1-1 road swing for the 12
th-ranked Blue Demons. She tallied 20 points, four steals, three assists and .533 shooting in Friday’s win at Georgetown to claim the regular-season title outright and the BIG EAST Tournament No. 1 seed.
Maddy Siegrist, Villanova, R-Fr., F
Siegrist’s week was highlighted by a 29-point, 13-rebound showing as Villanova upset 12
th-ranked DePaul in Sunday’s home finale. She made 14-of-25 attempts from the field. The redshirt-freshman went on to average 17.0 points and 9.0 rebounds in the 2-0 home swing for the Wildcats.
A’riana Gray, Xavier, Jr., F
Gray averaged 20.0 points and 8.5 rebounds in a 1-1 weekend for the Musketeers. She registered her ninth double-double of the season with game highs of 19 points and 11 rebounds in Friday’s win over Providence, before adding 21 points and six boards against Creighton on Sunday.