It’s Saturday, and that means college hoops are front and center — and we’ve got you covered with all the action.
Two of the stingiest defensive teams in the Big East kicked things off on FOX, as No. 20 UConn defeated Seton Hall. Afterward, women’s hoops took center stage, as No. 6 UConn took down No. 14 Villanova.
Men’s college basketball then continued with No. 24 Providence beating Villanova. Soon, No. 18 Creighton goes up against St. John’s over on FS1 (7:30 p.m. ET).
Here are the top plays!
FINAL: No. 24 Providence 85, Villanova 72
Taking it inside
Providence guard Noah Locke forced the issue at the rim early in the first half.
Offense is humming
Shortly after the attacking two from Locke, Alyn Breed drained an open 3-pointer for Providence. The Friars led 21-12 at the second TV timeout.
I’ll be taking that
Devin Carter stole Chris Arcidiacono’s pass and turned it into points for Providence.
Providence’s Devin Carter makes a sneaky pick-pocket then finishes with a two-handed jam against Villanova
Providence Friars’ Devin Carter made a sneaky steal for then a two-handed dunk against the Villanova Wildcats.
Strong move
Villanova’s Eric Dixon worked his way inside through the post for an and-one bucket.
Nova narrows the gap
Providence led 32-18 with 5:48 remaining in the first half, but Villanova managed to cut the deficit to five at halftime thanks to a tough inside bucket from Caleb Daniels – as shown below – and a 3-pointer from Brendan Hausen on the Wildcats’ final possession of the half.
Providence led 36-31 at halftime.
Lead change!
Villanova took the lead early in the second half when Cam Whitmore slammed in a bucket off a pass from Daniels.
Villanova’s Cam Whitmore breaks free for a slam dunk after a Providence turnover
Villanova’s Caleb Daniels assisted Cam Whitmore for a beautiful dunk for the Wildcats, after the ball was turned over by the Providence Friars.
Friars retake the lead
Providence quickly got the lead back and began to build separation when Bryce Hopkins got an and-one off the dribble and Carter attacked the rack for a slam.
Devin Carter throws down a one-handed jam to extend Providence’s lead over Villanova
Devin Carter threw down a one-handed jam to extend the Providence Friars’ lead over the Villanova Wildcats.
Back in control
The Friars went back up double digits when forward Ed Croswell converted an and-one.
Not going away
The Wildcats continued to hang in there, best exemplified by Whitmore forcing the issue at the rim with authority.
Cam Whitmore hammers in a two-handed slam against Providence, as Villanova trims the lead
Villanova Wildcats’ Cam Whitmore executed a perfect two-handed slam against the Providence Friars which trimmed the lead.
Providence 3-balls to victory
The Friars put the game away with a pair of triples from Locke and Carter – as shown below – and free throws in the closing minutes.
FINAL: No. 6 UConn 60, No. 14 Villanova 51 (W)
And we’re off!
UConn forward Dorka Juhasz scored the first points of the game, sinking a long 2-pointer …
… which Villanova’s Maddie Burke responded to with a reverse layup.
Nova 3-ball
UConn began to build a lead before Villanova guard Bella Runyan hit a 3-pointer.
Bella Runyan throws down from downtown for Villanova against UConn
Bella Runyan threw down from downtown for the Villanova Wildcats against the UConn Huskies.
The Huskies led 19-15 after the first quarter.
Staying with it
Despite missing two inside attempts, UConn forward Aaliyah Edwards kept corralling the offensive rebound and got the ball in the cup on the third try.
Tie game
UConn was ahead for the bulk of the first half, but Villanova evened up the score late in the second quarter. After swinging the ball around the perimeter, Burke drained a 3-pointer for Villanova to tie the game at 26 apiece.
The Huskies led 28-26 at halftime.
Running the baseline
Villanova’s first field goal of the third quarter came in style, as Runyan ran the baseline for two.
Making it happen
Juhasz crafted her way inside through the post for two.
Patience
Edwards found Caroline Ducharme underneath with the latter waiting for a defender to pass to get the inside bucket for UConn.
Scoring through traffic
Villanova’s Maddy Siegrist powered in a mid-range jump shot with multiple defenders in her face.
Somehow this went in
Ducharme made an absurd layup going to her right seconds before the conclusion of the third quarter.
The Huskies led 44-39 after the third quarter.
Huskies gaining steam
UConn expanded its lead early in the fourth quarter with Lou Lopez Senechal scoring their first five points of the quarter including the below 3-pointer.
UConn’s Lou Lopez Senechal drains a 3-pointer, extends lead over Villanova
UConn Huskies’ Lou Lopez Senechal swished a three and for her 18th point of the night against the Villanova Wildcats.
What a run!
Trailing 52-40, Villanova went on a 10-0 run to come within one score of UConn. The Villanova run featured Burke hitting a 3-pointer and ended with Lucy Olsen hitting a 2-pointer off the dribble.
UConn puts it away
Senechal helped UConn hold on despite the late push from Villanova. Her fadeaway jumper in the closing minutes was followed by a series of free throws and defensive stops for the Huskies.
FINAL: No. 20 UConn 64, Seton Hall 55
Own the paint!
Nothing like a little pregame rebounding lesson!
Coming out hot
KC Ndefo got things started for the Pirates with a casual 3-pointer right on target.
Pretty pass
Seton Hall’s Tray Jackson made a nifty behind-the-back-pass under the rim to a wide-open Ndefo for an easy jam.
Huskies show some bite
Meanwhile, UConn fought back, with Jordan Hawkins and Andre Jackson making their presence felt.
Jordan Hawkins throws down a one-handed jam to give UConn the lead over Seton Hall
Jordan Hawkins made a one-handed jam to give the UConn Huskies the lead over the Seton Hall Pirates.
Andre Jackson Jr. throws it down after a perfect alley-oop from Jordan Hawkins to give UConn the early lead
UConn Huskies’ Jordan Hawkins alley-ooped Andre Jackson Jr. for a beautiful dunking finish in their matchup against the Seton Hall Pirates.
Huskies heating up
The Huskies began to pick up steam in the latter part of the first half, with Hawkins’ 3-pointer helping them build a lead.
Clear the runway
Hawkins had himself a half. The UConn guard’s signature highlight came with him sneaking around the Pirates defense and climbing the ladder for a baseline slam.
UConn’s Jordan Hawkins sneaks up the baseline and delivers a NASTY one-handed jam against Seton Hall
UConn Huskies’ Jordan Hawkins snuck up the baseline and delivered a NASTY one-handed jam against the Seton Hall Pirates. UConn leads 30-19.
Injury blow for Pirates
Junior guard Kadary Richmond played seven minutes for Seton Hall before suffering a back injury. He was ruled out for the rest of the game.
UConn led 33-27 at halftime.
They all count
Al-Amir Dawes banked in a 3-pointer for Seton Hall, which cut UConn’s lead to four early in the second half. Dawes later made a layup, capping off a 7-0 Pirates run and forcing a UConn timeout.
Dunking over the competition
Jackson was flying up and down the floor, as seen below with a pair of rim-rattling second half slams.
Andre Jackson Jr. takes flight to throw down a two-handed jam to extend UConn’s lead over Seton Hall
Andre Jackson Jr. took flight to throw down a two-handed jam to extend the UConn Huskies’ lead over the Seton Hall Pirates.
Huge UConn run
Jackson’s second dunk – as shown above – was part of a 14-0 Huskies run. The run was finished off by a 3-pointer from Hawkins, as shown below. UConn led 56-40.
Late push halted
Seton Hall went on an 8-0 run to cut UConn’s lead to six with 1:19 remaining in the second half, but the latter was eventually able to secure the victory, as forward Adama Sanogo came through with a key block.
COMING UP:
No. 18 Creighton at St. John’s (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1)
Creighton Bluejays
YOU CREATE
-6.0
-278
o151.5
St. John’s Red Storm
SEVEN
+6.0
+188
u151.5
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