Wednesday In #BIGEASTwbb
BIG EAST women’s basketball teams returned from the holiday break for a full slate of conference games on Wednesday, with three games decided by 10 or less, including a two-point road win for RV/RV Villanova at RV/RV Marquette, 54-52. No. 8/8 UConn won at No. 21/21 Creighton 72-47 in a battle of ranked squads, while DePaul also stayed unbeaten in BIG EAST play with a 78-69 win over visiting Providence. Butler head coach Austin Parkinson earned his first career BIG EAST win as the Bulldogs knocked off Xavier 79-65, while Seton Hall won for the eighth time in its last nine games with a 72-62 victory over Georgetown. DePaul had the top two scorers on the night in Aneesah Morrow (29 points) and Darrione Rogers (24), while UConn’s Aaliyah Edwards was the top rebounder with a career-high 20 to go along with 23 points. Morrow (19 rebounds) and Edwards tallied double-doubles, along with UConn’s Dorka Juhasz (22 points, 18 rebounds), Marquette’s Jordan King (23 points, 11 rebounds), and Villanova’s Maddy Siegrist (21 points, 11 rebounds).
 
DePaul 78, Providence 69
Aneesah Morrow and Darrione Rogers combined for 53 points as DePaul (10-4, 3-0 BIG EAST) held off a second-half surge by the visiting Friars (9-6, 0-4) in a 78-69 win at Wintrust Arena on Wednesday night. Morrow totaled 29 points and added a season-high 19 rebounds for her 10th double-double of the season and 37th of her career while Rogers poured in 24 points including a 12-for-14 mark from the free throw line to go along with five assists and two steals. Providence used a 28-point third quarter to help trim a 24-point deficit down to three in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t complete the comeback. PC’s Brynn Farrell scored a career-high 21 points on 7-13 shooting from the field, including a 5-8 performance from beyond the arc.
Full Recap
 
RV/RV Villanova 54, RV/RV Marquette 52
The game was separated by single digits the entire 40 minutes, with neither team leading by more than eight throughout the contest. The final 10 minutes was separated by no more than two baskets, as Villanova (11-3, 2-1) took a one-point lead in the final seconds of the third quarter and clung to the single-digit advantage until the final buzzer. Lucy Olsen scored seven of her 13 points in the final frame to help keep the Wildcats ahead. VU’s Maddy Siegrist had 21 points and 11 rebounds while Marquette’s Jordan King tallied 23 points and 11 boards. Marquette (9-4, 2-2) edged Villanova on the glass 38-36.
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Seton Hall 72, Georgetown 62  
Seton Hall (10-4, 3-1) used a 17-2 run in the fourth quarter to rally past Georgetown, 72-62, on Wednesday in Walsh Gym for its eighth victory in the last nine games. The Pirates trailed 54-50 with 8:39 left in the game but went on a furious run over the next 6:06 to grab a commanding 67-56 advantage with just 2:33 to go.  The Hall’s Lauren Park-Lane had 12 of her game-high 23 points in the fourth quarter, including a pair of timely three-pointers. Park-Lane also had a game-high eight assists, adding to her Seton Hall career record. Ariel Jenkins had a career-high 18 points for the Hoyas (8-5, 1-3), while Kennedy Fauntleroy had 10 points and four steals. GU shot .364 from the field while SHU won the rebounding battle 41-34.
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Butler 79, Xavier 65  
The Bulldogs used a 19-0 scoring run in the first quarter to build a lead and claim a 79-65 BIG EAST road win at Xavier on Wednesday afternoon. Butler buried a season-high 14 3-pointers in the victory and shot 42 percent from the field. Four Bulldogs finished in double figures, including a game-high 20 points for Rachel McLimore who also tallied a game-best seven assists. Butler (6-7, 1-3) registered 20 assists on 26 field goals. Mackayla Scarlett led Xavier (7-6, 0-4) with 16 points, including an 8-for-8 clip from the free-throw line. The Musketeers shot .421 from the field and .455 from three, but Butler shot .473 and .483, respectively.
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8/8 UConn 72, 21/21 Creighton 47
Limited to just seven players, the eighth-ranked Huskies took advantage of a cold shooting night for the Bluejays (8-4, 2-2) to pick up a 72-47 win in Omaha on Wednesday night. Aaliyah Edwards had 23 points and a career-high 20 rebounds while Dorka Juhasz had a season-high 22 points and a career-high 18 boards. Creighton was just 1-of-18 from three in the first half as UConn (10-2, 3-0) built up a double-digit lead; it finished 3-28 from deep. Emma Ronsiek led the Bluejays with 12 points while Lauren Jensen added 11. Creighton committed just five turnovers to UConn’s 15, but was outrebounded 59-27.  
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Up Next
Four more BIG EAST tilts follow on Saturday including a nationally televised tilt between No. 21 Creighton and DePaul. Tipoff in Chicago is slated for 4 p.m. ET and the game will air on FOX – one of four BIG EAST games scheduled for the broadcast network this season. On BEDN, unbeaten and 25^th-ranked St. John’s travels to Georgetown at noon, while Seton Hall hosts Butler at 4 p.m. On SNY at 2 p.m., No. 8 UConn hosts Marquette. RV Villanova and Xavier return to the court on Jan. 1 in Cincinnati, with the game airing on CBS Sports Network at noon.
 
Upcoming Schedule
Saturday – Dec. 31
ST. JOHN’S at GEORGETOWN, Noon Stats BEDN on FloSports
RV/RV MARQUETTE at 8/8 UCONN, 2 p.m. Stats  SNY
21/21 CREIGHTON at DePAUL, 4 p.m. Stats FOX
BUTLER at SETON HALL, 4 p.m. Stats BEDN on FloSports
Sunday – Jan. 1
RV/RV VILLANOVA at XAVIER, Noon Stats CBSSN
BIG EAST GAME IN CAPS
All times Eastern