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Big East

Pirates and Johnnies Lead the League

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NEWARK – (Staff report from Official News Release – A typical Saturday in the BIG EAST, filled with drama and a surprise or two, left the league standings with a four-way tie for first place at 3-1 among Seton Hall, St. John’s, Villanova and Connecticut.

Seton Hall’s 3-1 mark shows all three wins coming against ranked opponents. The Pirates (10-4) knocked off No. 7 Marquette 78-75 at Prudential Center behind the offensive punch of Al-Amir Dawes (23 points) and Kadary Richmond (21). The Hall led 76-66 with 2:25 left and withstood a frantic rally by the Golden Eagles that cut the lead to one point. Oso Ighodaro led Marquette (11-4) with 22 points, eight rebounds and three steals.

St. John’s got to 3-1 with its wire-to-wire 81-71 win over Villanova at Finneran Pavilion. Joel Soriano led the Johnnies (11-4) with 20 points and eight rebounds. Daniss Jenkins added 18 points and five assists. In his first start, freshman Brady Dunlap netted 15 points. St. John’s is 3-1 for the first time since 2010-11. TJ Bama was outstanding for Villanova (10-5) with a game-high 23 points, seven rebounds and four steals.

Georgetown got its first league win when it held off DePaul 68-65. The Hoyas (8-7, 1-3) led 62-61 with 4:11 left, but kept their lead against the Blue Demons (3-11, 0-3). A potential game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer by DePaul missed the mark. Supreme Cook led four Hoyas in double figures with 14 points. Ismael Massoud added 13 points and seven rebounds. Da’Sean Nelson paced DePaul with a game-high 19 points.

Creighton saw an 18-point second-half lead reduced to one, but the Bluejays recovered to post a 69-60 victory against visiting No. 23 Providence. Ryan Kalkbrenner led Creighton (11-4, 2-2) with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Trey Alexander had 21 points, five boards and five assists. The Friars (11-4, 2-2), playing their first game without the injured Bryce Hopkins, got a game-high 25 points and 10 rebounds from Devin Carter. The Bluejays made a 3-pointer for the 1,000th straight game.

BIG EAST play resumes Tuesday with Seton Hall at Georgetown and Creighton at DePaul.

Big East: Bryce Hopkins Hurt

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PROVIDENCE – (Report from Official News Release) – Only 16 games into the 110-game BIG EAST league schedule and just one team remains unbeaten after two drama-filled contests on Wednesday. Seton Hall won at Providence 61-57 and Villanova edged Xavier 66-65.

Seton Hall got scoring support from Dre Davis, who notched a team-high 17 points. Kadary Richmond contributed 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists. The Pirates (9-5, 2-1 BIG EAST) shot slightly better than Providence (11-3, 2-1) from beyond the arc. The Hall was 7-of-16 and PC was 4-of-17. Josh Oduro netted a game-high 23 points for PC. Bryce Hopkins suffered a leg injury five minutes into the second half and did not return. The Friar defense was also strong, holding the Pirates to 36.2 shooting from the floor. Both of Seton Hall’s league wins have come against ranked opponents (UConn).

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Villanova had a 10-point lead midway through the second half, then held off a Xavier comeback bid. The Wildcats (10-4, 3-0) got 26 points from Hakim Hart (14) and Brendan Hausen (12) off the bench. Eric Dixon helped with 13 points and nine rebounds. The Musketeers (7-7, 1-2) were led by Quincy Olivari’s 14 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Xavier was 10-of-10 from the line, but only 5-of-18 from 3-point range.

The next BIG EAST action is Friday when fourth-ranked UConn visits Butler at 6:30 p.m. ET on FS1. The Huskies (12-2, 2-1) lead the league in scoring offense (83.1), scoring margin (+19.5) and are the only BIG EAST team shooting better than 50 percent from the field (50.2). The Bulldogs (10-4, 1-2) are third nationally (12.9) in fewest fouls committed and 20th in free throw shooting (77.2).

Big East: St. John’s Tops Butler

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STORRS – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – St. John’s and Creighton used some strong second-half play to secure wins on Tuesday, while Connecticut began its path to victory midway through the first half of its game.

No. 4 UConn put together a 16-2 run in the first half to take control in its 85-56 triumph over DePaul. The Huskies (12-2, 2-1 BIG EAST) led 38-19 at halftime. Four players finished in double figures led by Cam Spencer, who had 20 points. Alex Karaban added 17 points and a team-high seven rebounds. The Blue Demons (3-10, 0-2) were led by Da’Sean Nelson’s 19 points.

St. John’s (10-4, 2-1) pulled away from Butler in the final eight minutes and took an 86-70 decision at Carnesecca Arena. Daniss Jenkins led five SJU players in double figures with 17 points. He also had seven assists and five rebounds. Freshman Brady Dunlap, who had not played in the previous four games, netted 13 points off the bench. For Butler (10-4, 1-2), DJ Davis scored a game-high 25 points.

Creighton (10-4, 1-2) scored on 14 of its first 17 possessions in the second half en route to a 77-60 win atGeorgetown (7-7, 0-3). Baylor Scheierman posted his fourth double-double this season with 18 points and 12 boards. Trey Alexander dropped in a game-high 25 points. Rowan Brumbaugh led GU with 19 points and dished five assists.

FS1 has Wednesday’s two-game schedule covered. At 6:30 p.m. ET, No. 23 Providence hosts Seton Hall. The Friars (11-2, 2-0) are 46-3 in their last 49 home games. The Pirates (8-5, 1-1) have won three of their last four with wins over UConn, Missouri and Monmouth.

At 8:30 p.m., Xavier visits Villanova. The Musketeers (7-6, 1-1) are led by Quincy Olivari, who has averaged 25.0 points over his last five games.   For the third time in the last six seasons, the Wildcats (9-4, 2-0) have started 2-0 in league play with both wins coming on the road. Both teams have not played since Dec. 23.

Big East: Welcome to 2024

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STORRS – BIG EAST play in 2024 begins with three games on Tuesday evening. Eleven conference games were played in December. There are 99 to go.

No. 4 Connecticut hosts DePaul at Gampel Pavilion at 6:30 p.m. on FS1. The Huskies (11-2, 1-1) have won 22 of their last 23 games on campus. Guard Tristen Newton is averaging 16.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.6 assists. The Blue Demons (3-9, 0-1) are coming off a 70-58 victory over Chicago State. DePaul is third in the BIG EAST in 3-point shooting, making 35.0 percent.

Creighton travels to Georgetown for a 7 p.m. ET tip on CBSSN. The Bluejays (9-4, 0-2 BIG EAST) are looking for their first conference win after a five-point loss at Marquette on Saturday. The Hoyas (7-6, 0-2) are also in search of their first league victory. Georgetown has been idle since Dec. 22 when it also lost at Marquette. Guard Jayden Epps leads the Hoyas in scoring (17.1) and assists (4.1). The Bluejays have taken 11 of the last 14 games in the series.

The action on FS1 continues at 8:30 p.m. when St. John’s hosts Butler at Carnesecca Arena. The Red Storm (9-4, 1-1) have won seven of their last nine games and are 4-0 at Carnesecca, winning each game by at least 15 points. The Bulldogs (10-2, 1-0) are led by Pierre Brooks II, who is fifth in the BIG EAST in scoring with a 16.8 average. Butler is second nationally in fewest fouls committed, averaging only 12.3 per game.

Big Day, Big East

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HARTFORD – Saturday’s BIG EAST action began with a thrilling overtime affair and ended with a hotly contested battle between two original league members before a raucous sellout crowd.

In the first game of the day, Providence guard Ticket Gaines hit a 3-pointer with two seconds left in regulation before the Friars (11-2, 2-0 BIG EAST) prevailed 85-75 in OT over Butler. PC’s Devon Carter scored 10 of his game-high 24 points in the extra period. The Friars got double-doubles from Josh O’Duro (18 pts., 12 rebs.) and Bryce Hopkins (14 pts., 13 rebs.). DJ Davis led Butler (10-3, 1-1) with 22 points. Pierce Brooks had 20. The Bulldogs committed only five turnovers.

Xavier used a 14-0 run in the second half to pull away from Seton Hall in a 74-54 victory. The Musketeers (7-6, 1-1) got a game-high 29 points and seven rebounds from

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 Ousmane (16 pts., 10 rebs.) and Dayvion McKnight (15 pts., 10 rebs.) contributed double-doubles. Dre Davis led the Pirates (8-5, 1-1) with 18 points. Kadary Richmond had 13 points and eight boards.

Villanova made it a 2-0 road trip with an 84-48 victory at DePaul. The Wildcats (9-4, 2-0) shot 55.1 percent from the field and built a 46-28 lead by halftime. Hakim Hart came off the bench to post a game-high 20 points. Eric Dixon added 12 points. The Blue Demons (2-9, 0-1) got 11 points each from Chico Carter Jr., Da’Sean Nelson and Jaden Henley.

Fifth-ranked Connecticut and St. John’s engaged in an intense BIG EAST battle at a sold-out XL Center. The Huskies (11-2, 1-1) managed to score eight of the game’s final 10 points and win 69-65. Samson Johnson scored a career-high 16 points. Tristen Newton made all-around contributions with 15 points, nine rebounds and six assists. St. John’s Joel Soriano had his eighth double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Daniss Jenkins added 13 points and four assists.

The BIG EAST holiday break is a little longer than usual this year. Games do not resume until Dec. 30.

Big East: Georgetown, The Hall Win

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WASHINGTON DC – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Seton Hall and Georgetown gained home court victories on Tuesday against non-league foes. Creighton is the only BIG EAST team in action on Wednesday.

Seton Hall used a 17-0 run in the first half to grab a double-digit lead against Monmouth, then held off rally attempts in the second half and recorded a 70-61 victory. Freshman Isaiah Coleman came off the bench to score a team-high 17 points. Jaden Bediako added 11 points and 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season.

Georgetown was without guard Jayden Epps, the BIG EAST’s second leading scorer (19.1), due to illness, but the Hoyas (6-4) clamped down defensively on Coppin State in a 71-54 win. GU held the visitors to only 14 points in the first half. Dontrez Styles scored a game-high 19 points and Rowan Brumbaugh added 14 points, seven rebounds, five steals and four assists.

Creighton travels to Henderson, Nev., to play UNLV in the Jack Jones Classic. The Bluejays (8-1), ranked eighth in the AP poll this week, have held opponents to 63.4 points per game and have allowed only 39 3-point baskets in their nine games. CBS Sports Network will televise the game at 9 p.m. ET.

Thursday’s schedule also shows just one game. No. 7 Marquette hosts St. Thomas (Minn.) at 8 p.m. ET on FS1.

Big East: ‘Nova Beats UNC, 83-81

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NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS – Behind a monster performance by Eric Dixon, Villanova defeated No. 14 North Carolina 83-81 in overtime in the second round of the Battle 4 Atlantis on Thanksgiving Day. Butler, Creighton and Seton Hall lost their Turkey Day battles.

Dixon poured in a career-high 34 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to pace the Wildcats (5-1). Justin Moore added 16 points – all after halftime – and put Villanova ahead to stay 76-74 with a 3-point play with 2:08 left in OT. Dixon has 53 points in the first two games of the tournament.

Butler got off to a slow start against No. 19 Florida Atlantic in the first round of the ESPN Events International, but made it a battle until the end, dropping a 91-86 decision. The Bulldogs (3-2) cut a double-digit deficit to one on a 4-point play by Posh Alexander, which made the score 78-77 with 4:40 remaining. Jahmyl Telfort led five Bulldogs in double figures with 19 points.

The usually efficient Creighton offense struggled against undefeated Colorado State in a 69-48 loss in the title game of the Hall of Fame Classic. The Bluejays (5-1) shot 22.9 percent from the field in the first half and trailed 27-19 at the break. Baylor Scheierman scored a team high 13 points.

Seton Hall slashed a 20-point deficit to three, but could not complete the comeback in a 71-63 loss against No. 23 USC in the Rady’s Children’s Invitational. The Pirates (4-1) were led by Kadary Richmond, who finished with 18 points and six rebounds.

On a six-game Black Friday slate, Villanova plays for its third Battle 4 Atlantis title when it meets Memphis at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. Butler takes on Penn State at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN+. Seton Hall meets Iowa at 6 p.m. on FOX.

Three BIG EAST teams return to non-tournament play. Xavier hosts Bryant at noon followed by Manhattan at UConn at 2 p.m. FS1 will telecast both games. At 7 p.m., Lehigh plays at Providence on FS2.

St. John’s Wins Ugly

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CHARLESTON, SC – In the lone Thursday game on the BIG EAST schedule, St. John’s survived a first-round battle at the Charleston Classic by edging North Texas 53-52. Six BIG EAST Teams are in action on Friday, including the two that will complete this year’s Gavitt Tipoff Games.

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St. John’s led most of the way against North Texas before losing the lead with two minutes left. Joel Soriano made a pair of free throws with 1:11 remaining to grab the lead back for good. Soriano finished with 11 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots. Daniss Jenkins led the scoring with 17 points.

The Johnnies start the Friday BIG EAST schedule with a second-round game against Dayton at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

At 6 p.m., Providence meets Kansas State in the Baha Mar Hoops in the Bahamas on CBS Sports Network. The Friars are coming off a solid 72-59 win Tuesday against Wisconsin in theit Gavitt Games matchup.

FS1 will telecast a Gavitt Games doubleheader with Butler traveling to Michigan State at 6:30 p.m. The unbeaten Bulldogs lead the nation in field goal percentage defense, allowing only a 30.6 percent. Villanova hosts Maryland at the Finneran Pavilion at 8:30 p.m. Maryland coach Kevin Willard is most familiar with the Wildcats from his 12-year tenure at Seton Hall.

DePaul and Xavier have late starts. The Blue Demons play South Carolina in the Arizona Tip-Off in Glendale, Ariz., at 11:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network. DePaul picked up its first win of the year on Tuesday, a 72-60 decision against South Dakota.

At midnight, Xavier battles Washington in the Continental Tire Main Event in Las Vegas, Nev., on ESPN2. Desmond Clau

Seton Hall Crushes Albany

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NEWARK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Both games involving BIG EAST Teams on Wednesday were played in New Jersey with Seton Hall cruising past Albany 96-71 in Newark and Georgetown losing to Rutgers 71-60 in a Gavitt Tipoff Games battle in Piscataway.

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The 96-points are the most by a Pirate team in four seasons. Seton Hall (3-0) gained a 54-39 lead at halftime by shooting 70 percent from the field. The Pirates finished with eight players scoring between 15 and nine points. Al-Amir Dawes netted 15 points in only 20 minutes of playing time. Kadary Richmond chipped in 13 points.

Down the New Jersey Turnpike at Rutgers, Georgetown was undone by 21 turnovers. The Hoyas (1-2) trailed 38-32 at the break when the home team opened the second half with a 16-4 spurt. The Scarlet Knights maintained a double-digit edge for the remainder of the contest. Hoya guard Jayden Epps scored a game-high 16 points and backcourt teammate Dontrez Styles added 15.

A light Thursday schedule shows only one game. At 1:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU, St. John’s meets North Texas in the Charleston Classic.

Most BIG EAST teams are headed to tournaments this weekend. The Gavitt Tipoff Games conclude Friday with Butler playing at Michigan State at 6:30 p.m. followed by Maryland at Villanova at 8:30 p.m. FS1 will televise both games.

 

BIG EAST: Big Night for Big East Teams

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PROVIDENCE – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – There was quite a one-sided, 5-and-0, Tuesday night for BIG EAST teams including three Gavitt Tipoff Games victories as Providence, Marquette and Creighton picked up victories against their Big Ten opponents.

In the evening’s first game, Providence was in control against Wisconsin from start to finish and recorded a 72-59 victory at the AMP. The Friars (3-0) built a 37-21 lead by halftime and led by as many as 22 points in the second half. Devin Carter finished with 21 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field and a game-high eight rebounds.

No. 4 Marquette won a hard-earned 71-64 decision at No. 23 Illinois. Tyler Kolek, who had been nursing an ankle injury, had 24 points, six rebounds and four assists. His layup with 9:42 left gave the Golden Eagles (3-0) the lead for good 54-52.

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No. 8 Creighton (3-0) began the second half with an 18-6 burst en route to a 92-84 victory over Iowa. Trey Alexander came within one assist of being the first Bluejay player to record a triple-double that included assists. He finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.

No. 5 Connecticut (3-0) cruised past Mississippi Valley State 87-53 at Gampel Pavilion. Cam Spencer made 7-of-11 from beyond the arc and finished with 25 points. For the second straight game, all five Husky starters reached double figures. UConn has won 20 straight non-conference games.

DePaul got into the win column for the first time this season (1-2) with a 72-60 win against visiting South Dakota. Jeremiah Oden led four players in double figures with 16 points. DePaul led 36-25 at halftime. The Blue Demons blocked nine shots.

There’s a two-game schedule tonight, including a Gavitt Games matchup of Georgetown at Rutgers. FS1 will telecast at 8:30 p.m. ET. Seton Hall hosts Albany at 6:30 p.m., also on FS1.