Siegrist lifts Villanova past Creighton, into Big East women’s title game vs. UConn Monday

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — In the first two matchups between Villanova and Creighton, the winner was all but decided at the halftime break. In Sunday’s Big East Tournament semifinal, the two teams battled for the entire 40 minutes.

The Bluejays remained within two possessions until the final seconds, but a 37-point performance from Big East Player of the Year Maddy Siegrist ultimately put Villanova over the edge. The No. 2 Wildcats came away with a 63-61 victory over No. 3 Creighton at Mohegan Sun to advance to the Big East Tournament finals.

“We knew it would be a great matchup, but it was certainly evenly matched,” Villanova coach Denise Dillon said. “We pulled out a close one and super excited to get another chance to play.”

Siegrist shot 14-of-21 from the field and added 11 rebounds for a double-double to go along with four assists. Sunday marks the 33rd straight game in which Siegrist has reached 20 points. She is two games shy of the NCAA Division I women’s basketball record of 35 consecutive 20-point performances, held by Washington’s Kelsey Plum.

“[Siegrist] throws the ball in sometimes when it doesn’t even look like she’s looking,” Creighton head coach Jim Flanery said. “That’s just how talented she is.”

Christina Dalce had another impressive performance as the sophomore finished with nine points and nine rebounds.

Creighton had three players in double figures as Lauren Jensen finished with 22 points while Molly Mogensen and Emma Ronsiek chipped in 12 and 15, respectively.

The No. 2/No. 3 semifinal was just as many would expect, back-and-forth.

For the first 20 minutes, the teams traded baskets, but it was Creighton with the slight advantage. The Bluejays led by as many as eight in the second quarter, but the Wildcats hit back-to-back threes from Brooke Mullin and Zanai Jones to get within two. Creighton led 32-30 at the halftime break.

The second half was more of the same. But this time, it was Villanova that had the edge. The Wildcats led by as many as eight with three minutes left in the fourth.

Creighton came within two points on a triple from Jensen with 1 minute, 32 seconds remaining. With 26.6 seconds remaining, Siegrist grabbed an offensive rebound and got fouled on the putback. The senior stepped to the line and sank both free throws to extend the Villanova lead to four.

The Bluejays had two looks at the basket on the other end, but Villanova forced a tie up. After a review, an intentional foul was called on Dalce for contact to a Creighton player’s face. Jensen sank both free throws to bring Creighton within 63-61 with 11.2 seconds remaining.

“We just looked at the players and said ‘Alright, now it’s time to really get the stop we need’,” Dillon said. “I felt it was great growth Maddy had the mindset throughout… but for some of the younger ones to realize that we don’t have the ball, we gotta get another stop. I was really proud of the growth.”

On the Bluejays’ final possession, Villanova forced a tough shot from Jensen and Siegrist grabbed the rebound. Creighton had three fouls to give with 3.4 seconds remaining and time ran out as the Bluejays tried to give themselves another chance.

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In the first semifinal matchup, UConn routed Marquette, 81-52, to claim its spot in the Big East Tournament title game. Since rejoining the conference in 2020-21, UConn has reached the tournament championship all three years.

All five Huskies starters scored in double figures, three of which recorded double-doubles. Aaliyah Edwards led the way with 20 points and 12 rebounds, while Dorka Juhaz chipped in 14 points and 11 rebounds. Nika Muhl finished with 11 points and 10 assists while Aubrey Griffin (11) and Lou Lopez-Senechal (14) rounded out the UConn offensive attack.

The Golden Eagles hung around for the first 15 minutes, trailing by just five with under five minutes to play in the half. The Huskies closed the first half on a 12-2 run to take a 37-22 lead into the halftime break. The Huskies’ dominance continued in the second half with UConn leading by as many as 33 in the fourth quarter.

Marquette was one of just two teams, the other being St. John’s, that beat the Huskies in conference play this year, but UConn got its revenge on Sunday afternoon.

UConn swept the season series with the ‘Cats, earning two single-digit wins. In the first meeting in Hartford, Villanova held the lead late in the fourth, but the Huskies came up with crucial stops and clutch baskets to come back and steal the win. In the second matchup at the Finneran Pavilion, Villanova trailed the entire game, but kept within striking distance for the entire 40 minutes.

Both teams enter Monday night with an overall record of 28-5 with the Huskies finishing one game ahead of the Wildcats in regular season conference play.

UConn seems to be playing its best basketball at the right time, but the Wildcats have shown consistent improvement throughout the season. In a rematch of last year’s Big East title game, Villanova will be looking to avenge a 70-40 loss on Monday (7 p.m., FS1).

“Your ultimate goal is to get to that championship game,” Dillon said. “The team has done what is necessary to get there, and they’re familiar with UConn. To beat the best, you gotta be a lot better, so we got work to do.”

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