#BIGEASTwbb Minute: UConn Headed To The Final Four
Huskies punched their ticket to their 14th straight Final Four on Monday night as two million viewers watched UConn win in double overtime.
NEW YORK – For the 18th time, BIG EAST women’s basketball will have at least one team playing in the Final Four as No. 2 seed Connecticut knocked off No. 1 seed North Carolina State in double-overtime 91-87 on Monday in the Bridgeport Regional Final. The Huskies will be making their 14th straight trip to the Final Four and will face No. 1 seed Stanford on Friday in Minneapolis. Tipoff at the Target Center is slated for 9:30 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN.
With Villanova advancing to the Final Four on the men’s side, the BIG EAST will have teams in both Final Fours for the 10th time in Conference history and first since 2013. The BIG EAST is one of just two leagues to have teams in both the men’s and women’s Final Fours this season along with the ACC.
BIG EAST In The Women’s Final Four
The BIG EAST will send a team to the Final Four for the second straight year and 18th time overall. Including games against fellow BIG EAST opponents, the conference is 14-10 all-time in the national semifinals, last advancing to the national championship in 2013.
BIG EAST In The NCAA Tournament
With an 8-3 record so far in 2022, BIG EAST teams are a combined 253-145 (.636) all-time in NCAA Tournament play. The Conference has guaranteed a winning record for the second straight year and 24th time overall. The eight wins are already the most the BIG EAST has collected since 2013.
Bueckers Returns To Form
After missing 19 games due to a knee injury and playing in the last eight, UConn sophomore guard Paige Bueckers looked back to her old self on Monday night in Bridgeport. Bueckers scored 15 of her game-high 27 points after regulation as No. 2 seed UConn beat No. 1 seed North Carolina State 91-87 to reach its 14th straight Final Four. She was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Bridgeport Region.
Ratings Magnet
BIG EAST teams drew big ratings in the NCAA Tournament Second Round. UConn’s win over Central Florida on ESPN was the most-viewed early round game since 2009, capturing 1.13 million viewers. Creighton’s upset win at Iowa on ABC saw nearly one million viewers (993,000). The hot streak continued in the Elite Eight as the UConn-North Carolina State game was the most watched Elite Eight game since 2006, drawing two million viewers.
WNIT Update
Seton Hall won at Columbia 78-75 on Monday night in the WNIT Quarterfinals to advance to Thursday’s Semifinal Round at Middle Tennessee. Tipoff in Murfreesboro is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET and will stream on ESPN+. The Hall is now 8-6 all-time in the WNIT and advances to the Semifinals for the first time in program history. BIG EAST teams are a combined 4-3 in the WNIT Semifinals, last advancing to the title game in 2009 (South Florida).
Morrow Takes Home National Honors
DePaul freshman Aneesah Morrow claimed a pair of national honors on Tuesday as the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) named her NCAA Division I Freshman of the Year presented by adidas, before the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USWBA) recognized her with the Tamika Catchings Award as its National Freshman Player of the Year. Morrow finished her first season at DePaul as the national leader in rebounding (13.8) while listing 11th in scoring (21.9). Her 27 double-doubles are the second most in Division I.
Creighton Concludes Historic Season
The greatest postseason run in the history of Creighton women’s basketball came to an end on Sunday night, with the Bluejays falling in the Greensboro Regional final to top-seeded and top-ranked South Carolina, 80-50. Creighton ends its season with a 23-10 mark. Lauren Jensen was named to the All-Tournament Team of the Greensboro Regional after sharing for the CU lead (along with Morgan Maly) with 57 points in the postseason and scoring in double-figures all four contests. Creighton claimed three straight upset victories to advance to the program’s first ever Elite Eight. The 10th-seeded Bluejays knocked off No. 7 seed Colorado 84-74 in the First Round, No. 2 seed Iowa 64-62 in the Second Round and No. 3 seed Iowa State 76-68 in the Sweet 16. Creighton was picked sixth in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches’ Poll and finished third in the conference standings.
