WBB Notes - 1.4 Update
Sunday Showdowns
Four more BIG EAST women’s basketball contests are on deck for Sunday, with the three-way tie for first-place guaranteed to dwindle by at least one team. Showing its best start to BIG EAST play since 2012-13, St. John’s (10-4, 3-0 BIG EAST) defends its unbeaten mark against Villanova at 2 p.m. ET in a game airing on CBS Sports Network. Also tipping at 2 p.m. on the BIG EAST Digital Network presented by SoFi, fellow unbeaten teams No. 16/17 DePaul (12-2, 2-0) and Creighton (11-3, 3-0) square off in Omaha. Action on BEDN tips off with a pair of games at 1 p.m., as Georgetown (4-10, 1-2) visits Seton Hall (9-5, 2-1) and Providence (9-6, 0-3) hosts Marquette (9-4, 0-2).
Why We’re Watching …
Georgetown at Seton Hall, 1 p.m. (
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Caffeine): Both teams are coming off Friday setbacks, with The Hall’s loss to Villanova ending the Pirates’ four-game winning streak. After reaching double figures just once in her first four games, Taylor Barnes has become dominant for the Hoyas. The graduate student guard has scored in double figures in seven straight games to average 17.3 points during that stretch. The Pirates have seen four different players lead the scoring ledger recently, including Barbara Johnson. Johnson has double-digit outings in two of three BIG EAST contests this year, including 18 points at Butler on Dec. 29.
Marquette at Providence, 1 p.m. (
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Caffeine): The Golden Eagles started the league season with road games against two of the three remaining undefeated teams in the BIG EAST and remain on the road to face a Friars squad which challenged No. 16/17 DePaul on Friday. Despite the stiff competition, Lauren Van Kleunen has been steady for Marquette, averaging 15.5 points in league games thanks to the fifth-best field goal percentage (.565) in the BIG EAST. Van Kleunen will come face-to-face with reigning BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Mary Baskerville, who has averaged 17.5 points and 8.5 rebounds over the last two games.
Villanova at St. John’s, 2 p.m. (CBS Sports Network): Riding its best start to BIG EAST play since 2012-13, St. John’s will remain in a tie for first place in the conference standings with a win. The Red Storm have been led by Qadashah Hoppie both overall (17.0 ppg) and in league play (20.0 ppg), but rookies could be the storyline on Sunday. Villanova’s Maddy Siegrist is a two-time national rookie of the week and is the BIG EAST’s top scorer over her first 13 games, showing a 20.5 clip. The Red Storm have their own rookie standout, however, as Leilani Correa has multiple 30-point outings this season and is averaging 13.7 points per game on the year.
16/17 DePaul at Creighton, 2 p.m. (
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Caffeine): The winner of this one will remain in first place, either all alone or in a tie with St. John’s. Following Friday’s contests, No. 16/17 DePaul moved to No. 11 in the NCAA RPI, followed closely by Creighton at No. 13 for the top-two rankings in the BIG EAST. Two potential BIG EAST Players of the Year will be on display as well, with the Blue Demons’ Chante Stonewall and the Bluejays’ Jaylyn Agnew. Stonewall is leading DePaul with 17.9 points and 5.6 rebounds overall, while Agnew has been unstoppable to open league play, averaging 27.0 points, 7.3 rebounds over three league contests.
Saturday Recap
Butler 78, Xavier 70
Naira Caceres and Kristen Spolyar scored 23 points apiece to lead Butler over Xavier on Saturday afternoon. The Musketeers saw A’riana Gray score 28 points and grab 13 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. The Bulldogs shot a season-high .566 from the field, knocking down 30-of-53 attempts. The Musketeers (1-13, 0-3 BIG EAST) shot over 40 percent for the fourth time this year, finishing at 40.4 percent. The first quarter featured five ties and five lead changes, with Xavier leading by one at the end of the frame. Butler (9-5, 1-2) held Xavier to 11 second-quarter points to take the lead, and never trailed again despite holding a narrow single-digit lead throughout.
Full Recap
Upcoming Schedule
Saturday
Butler at Xavier, 2 p.m.*^
Sunday
Georgetown at Seton Hall, 1 p.m.*^
Marquette at Providence, 1 p.m.*^
Villanova at St. John’s, 2 p.m.*+
16/17 DePaul at Creighton, 2 p.m.*^
All times Eastern
*BIG EAST contest
^BEDN
+CBSSN