Villanova 50 at #1 UConn 99
Box Score
Sarah Strong was stellar for the Huskies with 24 points, nine rebounds, four assists, five blocks, and three steals in 27 minutes of action. KK Arnold recorded a season-high tying 13 points, to go with seven assists and four steals. Azzi Fudd and Blanca Quiñonez added 14 and 13 points, respectively. UConn held Villanova’s top scorer, Jasmine Bascoe, to just eight points. Villanova was led by Kennedy Henry with 12 points, four boards, two assists and two steals. Brynn McCurry did a little bit of everything for the Wildcats, finishing with 11 points, five rebounds, three blocks and two steals. Villanova went on a 10-0 run in the second quarter to cut UConn’s lead to 38-23.
 
BIG EAST Honors Martin Luther King Jr. this Weekend
As part of the conference-wide efforts to support social impact and inclusion, BIG EAST men’s and women’s basketball programs are using their platform to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Teams will be wearing shooting shirts donning a message representing the life lived by Dr. King. The phrase, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter” is also the theme of a social media campaign that can be seen by following @BIGEAST on X and Instagram. Four women’s games are scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 17, beginning with a pair of 1 p.m. contests. Providence is set to host Creighton, while Xavier welcomes St. John’s to Cincinnati. At 3 p.m., Georgetown travels to Marquette and DePaul hosts Seton Hall. All four games will be on ESPN+. On Sunday at 2 p.m., Villanova hosts Butler on ESPN+. Rounding out the weekend on FOX, UConn will square off against Notre Dame in a non-conference affair on MLK Jr. Day at 5 p.m.
 
It’s a 10 Out of 10
Seton Hall’s Savannah Catalon went a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line in the team’s 64-61 win over Marquette. The game marked the second time she has accomplished the feat this season. Catalon and Georgetown’s Destiny Agubata are the only BIG EAST players to go 10-for-10 from the charity stripe this season. It was also Catalon’s fifth game of her career with a perfect free-throw percentage on at least 10 attempts. 
 
Five Teams in Top 75 NET
Five BIG EAST women’s basketball teams are sitting in the top 75 of the NET rankings through Thursday night’s games. UConn leads the nation at No. 1, followed by Villanova at 35. Seton Hall takes the 45^th spot, while Marquette (55) and Georgetown (75) round out the five.

BIG EAST to Provide Public Availability Reports for Men's and Women's Basketball
Beginning in the 2025-26 season, the BIG EAST Conference will provide public reports on the availability of student-athletes in conference games for the sports of men's and women's basketball. BIG EAST schools will be required to submit availability reports three hours before the scheduled tipoff time.  Under the reporting structure, players will be designated as "questionable" or "out."  Availability reports will be posted on the BIG EAST website throughout the 2025-26 season. Women's Basketball Availability Reports


This Week in #BEWBB
 
Saturday, January 17
Creighton at Providence, 1 p.m. Stats | ESPN+
St. John’s at Xavier, 1 p.m. Stats | ESPN+
Georgetown at Marquette, 3 p.m. Stats | ESPN+
Seton Hall at DePaul, 3 p.m. Stats | ESPN+
 
Sunday, January 18
Butler at Villanova, 2 p.m. Stats | ESPN+

* Conference game
All Times Eastern