Big East Semi Finals: UConn, Villanova Meet in Championship Game
- Natalie Zona
- 18 minutes ago
- 4 min read
#1 UConn and #2 Villanova win convincingly in the semifinals and clash with a conference title on the line for the third time in the last five years.
UConn vs Creighton
In the first game of the day, UConn’s stifling defense and lights out shooting earned them a win over Creighton.
UConn’s Sarah Strong (23), Azzi Fudd (16), and KK Arnold (18) all scored double digit points while also contributing steals, rebounds, and assists. Strong tied a career high of 6 steals in a game and also broke the sophomore steals record for the program. Fudd reached 100 made threes and 100 assists as well in this game, making her the third Husky to notch that in a single season.
When asked about her growth in offensive production, Arnold said, “Just confidence and having trust in myself. With taking shots and being aggressive, it creates for my teammates as well.”
Sarah Strong started the game off with a steal in the opening minute and Azzi Fudd followed that up with a three pointer to get the scoring going for UConn. Arnold and Strong combined for 6 steals in the first five minutes of the game, leading to a Creighton time out after a 17-4 start for the Huskies.
Strong would pick up 7 more points in the quarter to take a 29-9 lead at the end of the first. Strong and Arnold both efficiently scored 9 points, matching the Blue Jays point total. KK Arnold shot 4-4 from the field in just 5 minutes of the first quarter. Allison Heathcock, Neleigh Gessert, and Elizabeth Gentry all scored for Creighton’s 9 points.
In the second quarter, Arnold, Fudd, and Strong all reached double digit points as UConn pulled away from Creighton. At the half, the Huskies were up 57-22, holding all Creighton players under double digit points. They also forced 14 turnovers and 10 steals.
The third quarter was much of the same, with UConn coming out dominantly. Strong reached 20 points, while Blue Jays scorers got hot with their shooting. Despite this, the Huskies were still up 82-38 at the end of the quarter, with most of their starters now subbed out for the game.
The game ended with UConn’s bench players getting a substantial amount of playing time before the Championship. UConn would score 100 points to Creighton’s 51 and punch their ticket to the championship game.
After the game, Azzi Fudd talked about what is different about this year’s team compared to the ones in the past. She mentioned, “This one feels different. We have all these healthy bodies, that’s new. But also, just having so many people come in and contribute. Looking at the stat sheet today, everyone was able to score, get a rebound, get a steal, they did something. Being on a team this deep has been a lot of fun.”
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Villanova vs Seton Hall
Villanova’s quick start elevates them over Seton Hall, 62-48.
Villanova’s Jasmine Bascoe totaled 15 points, 3 assists, and 5 rebounds in the win, while Brynn McCurry’s sharpshooting got her to 16 points on 6-10 shooting from the field.
Denae Carter and Jasmine Bascoe combined for all of the Wildcats first points in the early 12-0 run over the Pirates. After that run, both teams started to trade baskets, but the lead for Nova stayed at 11 as the quarter ended 18-7. Carter ended the quarter with 7 points, while Bascoe had 9. Zahara Bishop and Ari Woodard for Seton Hall had nearly all the points for the Pirates.
Brynn McCurry was asked about what the 12-0 start did for the players. “I think that’s a really big energy boost and it gets everyone’s confidence going. Trying to give the younger ones the confidence they need to start off strong and that just kind of led throughout the game.”
Going into the second quarter, Bascoe continued her scoring, adding 4 more points for the Wildcats. Brynn McCurry had 5 this quarter. Seton Hall kept fighting with effort from all the players on the floor. As both teams kept trading baskets, the deficit stayed at 11 at the half with Villanova ahead 36-25.
Coming out of the half, three different players broke through the Pirates’ defense for layups to go on a 6-0 run, forcing Seton Hall to take a timeout. The pirates once again started the half off slow and faced a large deficit with only 16 minutes left in the game.
McCurry contributed 4 more points for the Wildcats as they grew their lead to 14 going into the final quarter.
Both teams, once again, were just trading buckets, but Villanova’s early first quarter lead proved to be too much for Seton Hall to overcome. Villanova now moves onto the championship game after a 62-48 win over Seton Hall.
Head Coach Denise Dillon’s first thoughts were, “We’re happy to be up here with an opportunity to play a championship game tomorrow. I’m so proud of our group for doing what they’re capable of and getting us to this point of continuing to play basketball.”
Looking ahead, UConn has won the last five Big East Tournaments starting in 2021 where they beat Villanova 70-40. This year, the Huskies swept the regular season series against the Wildcats with win margins of 49 and 14 points. In their most recent matchup, the Wildcats led at halftime, which no one else had done against UConn this season.
Both teams had a first-round bye in the bracket, so they began their tournament play on the quarterfinals day. UConn beat Georgetown 84-39, while Villanova defeated Providence 73-65. In the semifinals, the Huskies took down Creighton 100-51, and the Wildcats were victorious over Seton Hall 62-48. Both teams have had convincing wins on their path to the championship to face each other.
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