First of all, let me say that the BIG EAST does not get the recognition that it deserves. The conference, contrary to popular opinion, is not just UConn. Let’s remember that last year, Villanova star Maddy Siegrist was the nation’s leading scorer, and UConn lost to Marquette and St, John’s. Did they dominate the conference tournament last year? Yes, but not without a fight.
So, when the pundits talk about the so-called Power Five conferences, rather than say the Power Five and the Big East, why not simply the Power Five? With the demise of the PAC-12, the Big East is more than qualified to step in as a part of that esteemed if not unnecessary sobriquet. Now, yesterday’s BIG EAST games.
Providence wins over Butler in Round One of the BIG EAST Tournament
Providence rolled into Mohegan Sun Arena on a mission. So did Butler, but let’s just say that perhaps their mission was a bit obfuscated by Providence’s shooting prowess and strong defense. Providence was led by junior Emily Archibald, who scored 17 points and nabbed 7 rebounds. She was joined by starters Olivia Olsen who grabbed 16 points and 12 boards, Grace Efosa with 13 points, and Brynn Farrell with 11 points.
Providence was able to capitalize on Butler’s turnovers to the tune of 20 points, even though Butler scored 13 points off of Providence turnovers. Providence’s 53.7% shooting outdid Butler’s 42.1%, and although the Friars were only up by 4 at the half, an 11-point advantage in the third quarter allowed them to pull away, and as both teams scored 17 points in the fourth, Providence’s ability to hold on won them the game, 75-60. With these teams, records are deceptive.
Butler at 14-16 and Providence at 13-19 shows that each school has a lot to build on and to look forward to. Providence simply out-dueled Butler when it counted the most, and while I might not consider a 15-point margin a blowout, it was certainly a statement that Providence is on the rise. Next up for the Friars is UConn, who beat them by 44 points in January and 23 points last week.
Whether or not Providence can take the Huskies down is left to, for lack of a better word, providence, but this is March, and UConn in March is a different team. At least the UConn legion of fans will hope so.
Seton Hall holds off DePaul in the BIG EAST Tournament
This has been a tough year for Coach Doug Bruno and DePaul. Usually a tenacious squad, DePaul stumbled through some very hard losses this season, and while they made an effort to close the gap from the first half, by the fourth quarter it just wasn’t enough. Seton Hall held on and took the game 71-64. Seton Hall managed an overall winning record but went 8-10 in conference play. DePaul only managed a 4-14 conference record and a 12-20 overall record.
Standouts for DePaul were Kate Clarke and Katlyn Gilbert, each with 18 points. Seton Hall was led by Asana Baines with 17 points, Micah Gray with 16, Savannah Catalon with 13, and Kai Satterfield with 10. Up next for Seton Hall is a tough Creighton team, who should not sleep on Seton Hall at all.
Georgetown took care of Xavier by 22 points
The third game of the day matched Georgetown with Xavier. Georgetown won 62-40, capping an Xavier season that gave them only one win overall. I have no doubt that Xavier came to play, but somehow the stars just did not line up for them this season. Xavier took the first quarter and the last quarter by a total of 30-21, but it was the second and third where Georgetown poured it on, winning those quarters by a score of 41-10. Xavier turned the ball over 18 times, giving Georgetown 24 points off of those turnovers.
#HoyaSaxa‼️ pic.twitter.com/BTaYfN0gKs
— BIG EAST WBB (@BIGEASTWBB) March 8, 2024
Teams were even on 3s with five each, but shooting percentages were 32.7% on 16-49 for Xavier and 42.4% on 25-59 for Georgetown. Xavier had two players in double figures and Georgetown had 4 with three of them off the bench. In fact, only three starters for Georgetown scored. The bench won the game 37-25 over the starters, so perhaps a shift is in order. Still, they won the game on a collective effort, which they’ll need against their next match-up with St. John’s.
A major upset in the BIG TEN Tournament
And finally, I had the opportunity to attend the morning session of the BIG TEN Conference Tournament yesterday. The first game pitted Ohio State against Maryland. The first quarter belonged to Ohio State 17-12. Then in the second quarter, at the 6:29 mark, Brinae Alexander hit a three for the Terps and never looked back. OSU managed to get within three points in the third, but Maryland continued to take advantage of poor shooting, and then further pulled away in the fourth quarter, winning a huge upset 82-61.
DOWN GOES THE TOP SEED
— Maryland Women’s Basketball (@TerpsWBB) March 8, 2024
Maryland knocks off the #4 ranked Buckeyes
📰 https://t.co/1KJZSCOTXA pic.twitter.com/pKfKeksGTS
Why Coach McGuff sat Rebeka Mikulasikova so long in the fourth quarter was a mystery, as she was OSU’s leading scorer with 16 points. Standout Jacy Sheldon scored only 10 points with 4 turnovers, Cotie McMahon 12, and Taylor Thierry 13. The Buckeye bench was a non-factor with only 3 points. The Maryland starters came on like the Charge of the Light Brigade, smothering the OSU defense.
Given the difficulties that Maryland has faced all season, I suspect the crowd, which was by no means full, did not expect this result. During the break between games, I saw a lot of blank expressions and shaking heads among the crowd wandering the Target Center, myself being one of them. How this major loss will affect OSU’s seeding for the Big Dance will be something everyone will be watching.
Impact for Maryland and more BIG TEN Tournament action
It certainly won’t help OSU and could be a huge boost for Maryland, who will face a tough Nebraska team, who took down Michigan State in the second game yesterday. In a way, it was a more entertaining game, in which I think Nebraska stunned not only the crowd but also the Trojans. By the end of the third quarter Nebraska was up 62-44, but then they didn’t score until the 6:33 mark on a pair of free throws by Jay Shelley.
Then both teams started to shoot a little better, but Michigan State got no closer than 10 points on a Julia Ayrault layup. Was it an upset? No, not when a No. 5 seed beats a No. 4 seed. Nebraska just played a better game, a more energetic game, and a more determined game. I found it more fun than the first game, only because, like almost everyone there, we all expected Ohio State to blow Maryland out of the water. The water went undisturbed, at least by Ohio State.
But it was enjoyable to be there, particularly since the lobby was packed with Iowa fans and a sea of black and gold. It was a sight to see, and a good one at that. Back tomorrow with more BIG EAST coverage.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
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