The BIG EAST Tournament semi-finals had a couple of similarities; they were both low-scoring games, and they both featured some excellent defense. However, more important than the scores was the tenacity with which the winners of each contest played.
UConn clinches spot in BIG EAST Tournament Championship Game
In the first game, No. 9 UConn faced a Marquette team that had been ranked from Week 4 to Week 11 in the AP poll. Now, a record of 23-8 is not bad, but somewhere along the line, Marquette lost something. Timing, focus, basics, who knows? Starters Liza Karlen, Mackenzie Hare, and Jordan King all shot well below their averages. Neither team had an abundance of fouls, with each committing only nine. Turnovers were almost equal, with Marquette committing 12 and UConn 11. Not great, but not horrific.
Points off of turnovers were close, with 8 for UConn and 6 for Marquette. As for UConn, everyone is well aware of all the adversities they have faced yet again, the most recent being the absence of Aaliyah Edwards due to a broken nose suffered in the Providence game. So, with only seven available players, UConn once again had to shift gears.
To see Paige Bueckers start the game with the jump ball was, well, maybe amusing, but in a good way. UConn got the ball on her jump, and then Paige proceeded to score the first basket. From the get-go, UConn seemed to have a mission. Having to rally the diminished troops yet again is sadly nothing new for the Huskies, but with Ice Brady taking Aaliyah’s place on the court, there was a big unknown. Fortunately, Brady held her own. She, along with Ashlynn Shade, played the entire 40 minutes.
It was the Paige Bueckers show at the Mohegan Sun Arena
KK Arnold got into early foul trouble, which brought Qadence Samuels off the bench, who, in fifteen minutes scored 5 points, with 3 rebounds and an assist. Both Bueckers and Nika Mühl played 37 minutes, with Bueckers gathering 27 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and four blocks. Marquette’s Liza Karlen was the only player in double figures, with 12 points, 9 boards, and 2 blocked shots. Marquette made only twelve shots for the entire game, shooting 12-54.
There’s only one Paige Bueckers
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) March 10, 2024
– 27 points
– 11-16 FG
– 3-5 3FG
– career-high 12 rebounds
– 4 assists
– 4 blocks
– 3 steals
– 0 turnovers pic.twitter.com/AUV1V9xn27
The bottom of the basket might as well have been in Katmandu, as the Huskies held Marquette scoreless for the final 15 minutes of the game. UConn shot 23-48 and hit seven 3s which, for this game, was more than enough. I happen to think that Megan Duffy is a very good coach. I think her team let her down, and my guess is they all know it. Geno Auriemma was very complimentary of his team’s defense and of course of Paige Bueckers taking the leadership role.
UConn is on a roll heading into the BIG EAST Championship Game
One can only imagine what Paige would have been like had she not suffered from the injuries she had to endure. This game, like some others, was a pretty good indication. I think there is a lot more to come, and her decision to return for a fifth year was, from my perspective, the right decision. The final score of 58-29 is a head-scratcher, but there have been a number of low-scoring games throughout every conference tournament for a variety of reasons.
Whether or not UConn sees Aaliyah Edwards back for the final game is yet to be determined, although Auriemma does not seem terribly positive about it. But health comes first, so we’ll see. If not, I think UConn can build on what they accomplished against Marquette and will be prepared to face a BIG EAST opponent in Georgetown that is ready.
Georgetown upsets No. 21 Creighton to face UConn
While the second game was closer in terms of scoring, Georgetown showed an enormous amount of grit and confidence in their ability to upset No. 21 Creighton 55-46. Again, a low-scoring game, but one with a little more drama than the previous game. While Georgetown did play some decent defense, the Bluejays, much like Marquette, just couldn’t find the basket. Creighton shot 15-57, 26.3%. Not that Georgetown did much better, shooting 20-52 for 38.5%, but it was enough. Just.
In the first quarter, no one scored until the 7:38 mark when Kelsey Ransom hit a layup for the Hoyas, followed immediately by a jumper from Creighton’s Morgan Maly. Creighton took the first quarter 13-10. It was more of the same in the second quarter, with Georgetown outscoring Creighton 16-10, putting it at 26-23 Georgetown at the half. Then, midway through the third quarter, in which Creighton went ice cold, coach Jim Flanery pulled a hockey switch and benched all five starters.
Georgetown women’s basketball lost its head coach, Tasha Butts, to cancer at the age of 41 in October. This team has played for her all year. They were picked 10th in the Big East.
— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) March 10, 2024
The Hoyas are going to the conference title game for the first time ever. pic.twitter.com/1mK5j5YAtT
During the four minutes that the bench players were on the court, they out-scored Georgetown 10-4. The starters came back and didn’t score, ending the quarter at 41-33 Georgetown. No one scored for the first two minutes of the fourth quarter until Emma Ronsiek hit a pair of free throws, bringing Creighton to within six. Flanery did another sub-out, but to no avail, and Georgetown walked away with the upset. To be fair, as much as Creighton struggled, Georgetown really didn’t fare that much better.
Could Georgetown upset UConn in the BIG EAST Tournament final?
Was their performance enough to topple UConn? Of course, anything can happen, but in this case, I don’t think so. Even with the prospect of Edwards missing another game, if UConn’s defense is what it was against Marquette, it is going to be very difficult for Georgetown. Ransom, the leading scorer for the Hoyas, scored her season average of 14 points. (Her average is 13.7, so close enough) Alex Cowan doubled her season average of 6.1 to 12.
The rest of Georgetown is going to have to step up big time to have a chance of beating the Huskies. Some have said that Mohegan Sun is like a home game for UConn. Yes, there will be an overwhelming number of Husky fans at the game, so we’ll just have to wait and see. How this loss affects Creighton in the NCAAW Tournament seeding remains to be seen. I predict an exciting BIG EAST final game between UConn and Georgetown, regardless of the score.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
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