Last Night In #BIGEASTwbb – 2.29.20
Logjam Remains After Final Friday Night
The standings logjam and availability of seeds for the 2020 BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Tournament presented by Jeep remained constant after a four-game Friday night. No further postseason seeds were clinched while the multi-team tie in the middle of the standings grew by one to four, as Villanova joined Creighton, St. John’s and Seton Hall at 10-7 for fourth place. Providence defeated Georgetown to break free of the Hoyas and Xavier and moved into the solo spot in eighth, while the top three remain steady as first-place DePaul and second-place Marquette had a bye and Butler remained in third place despite a setback to the Red Storm. Aside from No. 1 seed DePaul, the remaining nine seeds will be locked in during the final day of the regular season – this Sunday, beginning at 1 p.m. ET when Villanova visits Providence and Seton Hall hosts Butler. All 10 teams take the court, including a nationally televised tilt between the 16th-ranked Blue Demons and Marquette at 3 p.m. on FS2.
Creighton 67, Villanova 47
The Bluejays scored a crucial season sweep over the Wildcats, who Creighton is now tied with in the standings at 10-7 for fourth place, along with Seton Hall and St. John’s. The battle of the BIG EAST’s top two scorers ended in favor of the league’s No. 1, Jaylyn Agnew, who scored a game-high 20 points in the win, while runner-up Maddy Siegrist of Villanova was kept in check with just 10 points, nearly half her season average of 19.6. Siegrist was one board shy of a double-double with a game-high nine rebounds. Creighton used a 21-11 third quarter to pull away. The Bluejays drained 10 triples on the night, including three for Agnew.
Full Recap
St. John’s 85, Butler 80 (OT)
The Red Storm headed to overtime for the fifth time this season and scored a five-point win over the Bulldogs despite a 28-point night by Butler’s Kristen Spolyar. Five St. John’s players finished in double figures including a team-high 20 points for Alissa Alston who went 10-for-10 from the charity stripe. A sprint in the final 15 minutes saw the teams combine for 49 points in the fourth quarter and 29 more in the five-minute overtime period. Spolyar was 10-of-21 from the field while Kat Strong had one of her top performances of the year with 21 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. The win gives St. John’s a season sweep of Butler, which remains alone in third place at 11-6 in the standings but with just a one-game lead as the Red Storm, Villanova, Creighton and Seton Hall all follow at 10-7. St. John’s scored 22 points of 16 Butler miscues, while the Bulldogs won the rebounding battle, 37-33, and outscored the Johnnies 40-22 inside.
Full Recap
Providence 62, Georgetown 55
Backed by four players in double figures, the Friars scored a home win over Georgetown to earn a crucial season split with the Hoyas and move into the solo spot in eighth place in the standings. Kyra Spiwak led Providence with 15 points off 6-of-11 shooting as PC shot .471 from the field and scored 30 points in the paint. Georgetown’s Brianna Jones led all scorers with 24 points, draining four three-pointers and corralling six boards. PC’s Mary Baskerville recorded her sixth double-double of the year with 10 points and 10 boards, while GU’s Anita Kelava notched her second double-double of the season with 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
Full Recap
Seton Hall 69, Xavier 59
Alexis Lewis scored a game-high 21 points and grabbed a game-best 10 rebounds to lead the Pirates to the season sweep of the Musketeers, Friday at Walsh Gym. Each team saw four players finish in double figures, with Morgan Sharps leading Xavier with 15 points off 5-of-7 shooting. XU led by one, 36-35, at the half before The Hall used 17-9 third quarter to pull ahead. After the Musketeers cut their deficit to five points, 49-44, The Hall went on an 8-1 run that spilled into the fourth quarter, and a three-pointer by Lewis gave it its largest lead of the game, 57-45, with 8:45 left to play in the game. Xavier never got closer than a six-point deficit the rest of the way.
Full Recap
Up Next
Sunday, Mar. 1
Villanova at Providence, 1 p.m.*^
Butler at Seton Hall, 1 p.m.*^
Georgetown at Creighton, 2 p.m.*^
16/15 DePaul at Marquette, 3 p.m.*#
Xavier at St. John’s, 4 p.m.*^
*BIG EAST contest
^BEDN
All times Eastern
#FS2