WBB Notes - 1.26
The Week Ahead
Six games are on the calendar this week, with three of them set to air to national television audiences. Highlighting the lineup is Sunday’s showdown between No. 3/4 UConn and No. 17/20 DePaul. The ranked squads will tipoff at 1 p.m. ET on FOX, marking the first women’s basketball game to air on the network. Additionally, FS1 will cover Georgetown at Creighton at 2 p.m. on Saturday, while UConn’s Thursday non-conference game at No. 19/18 Arkansas will be featured on ESPN2 at 5 p.m. The remaining three games, including a pivotal matchup between Marquette and Villanova on Wednesday at 7 p.m., will stream live on the BIG EAST Digital Network presented by SoFi, available on FloSports. Up next is St. John’s at Georgetown, Wednesday at 4 p.m. on BEDN.
 
What’s #Trending
National Recognitions For Huskies: Tuesday was a two-for day for third-ranked UConn as Paige Bueckers was named National Freshman of the Week by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) while junior Olivia Nelson-Ododa was named to the Naismith Women’s Defensive Player of the Year watch list. For more on both honors: USBWA | Naismith
Up In The Polls: UConn and DePaul both gained ground in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll on Tuesday, with each rising one spot – the Huskies going to No. 4 and the Blue Demons to No. 20. DePaul also improved in Monday’s AP Poll, jumping one for the third straight week to a season-best No. 17. UConn remained No. 3 in the AP Poll for a second straight week.
Marquette’s Not Missing: The Golden Eagles have shot 50-percent or better from the field in three straight games, capped by a 62.3-percent outing at Butler on Sunday – their highest clip of the season and the second-best team shooting performance in the BIG EAST this year. A week ago MU was ranked 25^th nationally with a .463 shooting average – as of today, they moved up to seventh with a .487 clip.
Pirates Making Waves: Seton Hall has won five straight games for the first time since a six-game streak late in the 2015-16 season. They are 6-2 in BIG EAST games for the first time since the 2014-15 season. The Pirates made the NCAA Tournament in both the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons. The Hall will hope to remain hot when they return to the court, as the Pirates are currently sidelined due to contact tracing (announced on Jan. 25).
 
Last Night In #BIGEASTwbb: Villanova 81, St. John’s 78 (OT)
The Wildcats and Red Storm had the honor of being the first overtime game of the season for BIG EAST teams, with Villanova scoring the three-point nationally televised home win in what was its first game since Jan. 6. Five Wildcats scored in double figures and three finished with double-doubles, including the BIG EAST-leading seventh of the season for Maddie Siegrist, who finished with 24 points and 10 boards. St. John’s Leilani Correa posted a game-high 29 points as the sophomore reached the 20-point mark for the fifth time this season. The Red Storm mounted a remarkable comeback, trailing by 17 with 8:32 left in regulation. Correa scored 11 points over the final 10 minutes as St. John’s outscored VU 22-9 in the fourth quarter to force overtime. Lior Garzon drilled a three just 13 seconds into the bonus frame to give the Wildcats the lead, and Villanova never trailed the rest of the way. St. John’s shot .462 on the night but missed crucial free-throws, going 16-of-24 at the line compared to Villanova’s 17-of-20 clip. Bella Runyan had a career-high 15 points for VU, while Unique Drake also hit a career mark with 21 points for the Johnnies.
Full Recap
 
This Week In The BIG EAST
Wednesday
ST. JOHN’S at GEORGETOWN, 4 p.m.*
MARQUETTE at VILLANOVA, 7 p.m.*
Thursday
3/4 UConn at 19/18 Arkansas, 5 p.m. (ESPN2)
Saturday
GEORGETOWN at CREIGHTON, 2 p.m.#
Sunday
3/4 UCONN at 17/20 DePAUL, 1 p.m. (FOX)
VILLANOVA at BUTLER, Noon*
All Times Eastern