Updated BIG EAST Notes
There is just one league team in action on Monday as No. 2/2 Connecticut (6-0) takes on No. 11/10 Maryland (4-1) in the Jimmy V Classic at the XL Center. The Monday night game will be televised live on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. The powerhouse teams have a combined 44 NCAA Championship appearances (Maryland 20, UConn 24), but have never faced each other. Recently, BIG EAST teams are a combined 7-3 against the Terps over the past four seasons. In addition, a BIG EAST team has ended Maryland’s season in each of the last four years.
Year Result Teams Winner
2008-09 Dec. 7, 2008 Maryland 57 at Pittsburgh 86 BIG EAST
2008-09 Feb. 15, 2009 Rutgers 47 at Maryland 67 MD
2008-09 March 30, 2009 Louisville 77 vs. Maryland 60 (NCAA) BIG EAST
2009-10 March 25, 2010 Maryland 64 at Providence 77 (WNIT) BIG EAST
2010-11 Nov. 16, 2011 Maryland 45 at Georgetown 53 BIG EAST
2010-11 Dec. 29, 2011 St. John’s 60 at Maryland 66 MD
2010-11 March 22, 2011 Georgetown 79 at Maryland 57 (NCAA) BIG EAST
2011-12 Nov. 13, 2011 Georgetown 72 at Maryland 53 BIG EAST
2011-12 March 19, 2012 Louisville 68 at Maryland 72 (NCAA) MD
2011-12 March 27, 2012 Notre Dame 80 vs. Maryland 49 (NCAA) BIG EAST
2012-13 Dec. 3, 2012 Maryland at Connecticut (Jimmy V)
Ended Maryland’s season
In action on Sunday, seven BIG EAST teams took the court, with five games being decided by seven points or less. DePaul (6-2) beat Northwestern 89-61, while Villanova (6-1) topped La Salle 49-44.
In the DePaul win, redshirt-freshman Megan Rogowski scored a career-high 22 points in 24 minutes off the bench. She was one of five Blue Demons in double-figures. Senior teammate Anna Martin chipped in 12 points, while head coach Doug Bruno coached his 800th career game at DePaul. He is 516-284 all-time for a .645 win percentage.
In the Villanova win, the Wildcats hit just six 3-pointers but held La Salle to just 29-percent shooting. Sophomore Emily Leer scored a career-high 19 points to lead Villanova in its fifth straight victory.
Elsewhere, No. 7/6 Louisville (8-1) lost its first game of the year 48-47 to No. 9/8 Kentucky at home. Kentucky freshman guard Janee Thompson came off the bench to score 13 second-half points, including the game-winning 3-pointer with 8.4 seconds remaining. Thompson also converted three free throws with 59.5 seconds remaining to score the final six points and close the game on a 27-12 run for Kentucky, which earned its second straight win over Louisville and its first road win in the series since 1999. Louisville shot just 5-of-8 from the free throw line.
''We gave them the ball game,'' Louisville coach Jeff Walz said of his team missing free throws.
In Cincinnati, the Bearcats (4-2) lost in double overtime to Xavier 69-67 in the Skyline Chili Women’s Crosstown Classic. Redshirt-junior Dayeesha Hollins, who has scored in double-figures in each of the Bearcats’ six games this season, led all players with 25 points and collected a career-high 14 rebounds. The 25 points marked a season high for Hollins and fell two shy of tying her career high.
Syracuse (7-1) suffered its first loss of the year following a 74-67 showing at Temple. SU senior center Kayla Alexander scored 12 points to give her 1,607 in her career, moving her past Julie McBride's (2001-04) 1,605 for third-most in Syracuse history.
Rutgers (3-3) lost at Boston College 58-56. Senior guard Erica Wheeler led the Scarlet Knights with a season-high 19 points.
Seton Hall (3-5) lost to South Carolina 55-42 at home. Senior guard Brittany Morris led the Pirates with 10 points. South Carolina (9-0) entered the game with a +18.1 rebounding margin and accounted for the difference in the game by holding a 13-2 edge in second chance scoring and a 30-22 differential in the paint.
Material from interviews, school websites, the Associated Press wire service as well as league and team sources was used in this report. All times are Eastern
