NO. 1 UCONN VS. NO. 6 GEORGETOWN
Location: Mohegan Sun Arena
Tip: 7 p.m. (FS1)
Records: Georgetown 22-10, UConn 28-5.
Last game: Georgetown beat No. 2 Creighton in the Big East tournament semifinals, 55-46, Sunday; UConn beat No. 5 Marquette in the Big East tournament semifinals, 58-29, Sunday.
Last game’s starters: Georgetown, 6-3 F Graceann Bennett (9.5 ppg, 7.3 rpg), 6-3 C Ariel Jenkins (3.1 ppg), 5-10 G Kelsey Ransom (13.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 4.3 apg, 2.3 spg), 6-0 G Victoria Rivera (6.6 ppg), 5-7 G Alex Cowan (6.1 ppg, 2.4 apg).
UConn, 6-3 F Ice Brady (4.4 ppg), 5-9 G KK Arnold (8.9 ppg, 3.2 apg, 2.2 spg), 6-0 G Paige Bueckers (21.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.8 apg, 2.1 spg), 5-11 G Nika Muhl (7.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 6.3 apg, 1.2 spg), 5-10 G Ashlynn Shade (11.1 ppg, 1.6 apg).
Noteworthy: UConn coach Geno Auriemma confirmed that senior forward Aaliyah Edwards, in fact, suffered a broken nose during Saturday's quarterfinal victory over Providence - “way broken,” Auriemma said. Edwards, who is averaging 17.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, a unanimous pick to the All-Big East first team, was not available to play in Sunday's semifinals and is still questionable for Monday's championship game against Georgetown. Edwards was the Most Outstanding Player of last season's tournament. “People think you just slap a mask on and you're good to go, but you have to be able to breathe, and you have to not have headaches. No concussions, which was great,” Auriemma said of Edwards, who sat on the bench. “Now it's just a matter of when are you comfortable. Is it (Monday?) I don't know. I doubt it. But who knows. But I would say by two weeks from yesterday (when the NCAA tournament starts), we'll be good to go. We'll be right back to normal.” ... UConn fought through Sunday's game without Edwards, mainly due to 27 points and 12 assists from Big East Player of the Year Paige Bueckers. Now the Huskies need one more win to capture the title. “I wish this was tomorrow. I wish today was Monday,” Auriemma said. “Unfortunately it's not.” ... Georgetown, meanwhile, broke through in its seventh Big East tournament semifinal appearance, beating No. 2 Creighton 55-46 Sunday. Kelsey Ranson had 14 points and six assists, Alex Cowan 12 points and Mya Bembry a team-high 10 rebounds. The Hoyas led 26-23 at halftime. “We were repeating to each other that we were going to win this game because we were the toughest and tightest team in that gym, we were the hungriest team and we prepared for this,” Ransom said, asked what the Hoyas told each other in the huddle to remain focused. “... We were just encouraging, getting on each other, expecting better things for each other for the last minute, playing through the buzzer.” ... UConn, which went 18-0 in the Big East during the regular season, had its closest win of the year in the league against Creighton, 73-53 on Feb. 19. The Huskies won league games by an average of 31.1 points. ... UConn has won 21 Big East tournaments, three straight since returning to the league for the 2020-21 season . ... UConn defeated No. 2 seed Villanova for last year's Big East tournment title 67-56. Edwards was named Most Outstanding Player . ... UConn is 40-1 all-time at Mohegan Sun with its only loss coming to Louisville in the Basketball Hall of Fame Women's Showcase on Dec. 18, 2021, 69-64.