Big East tournament roundup: Kelsey Ransom, Hoyas take down Friars

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Kelsey Ransom scored a career-high 36 points, none more important than the two free throws she sank with two seconds left, and No. 10 seed Georgetown upset No. 7 seed Providence 58-56 in the first round of the Big East women’s basketball tournament on Friday in Uncasville, Conn.

Ransom scored all 11 of the Hoyas’ points in the fourth quarter. Her 3-pointer in the first minute gave Georgetown a 50-40 lead, its largest of the game. Providence rallied all the way back, with Olivia Olsen’s layup and free throws pulling the Friars even with 59 seconds left before Ransom drew a foul. The Friars missed a short shot before the buzzer.

Ransom made 14 of 22 field goal attempts and added seven rebounds for Georgetown (12-18), which will face second-seeded Creighton in the quarterfinals. Ariel Jenkins added eight points and six boards in 20 minutes before fouling out.

Olsen led Providence (13-19) with 21 points and seven rebounds. Grace Efosa added 14 points and eight boards.

St. John’s 66, Butler 50

Ber’Nyah Mayo had a game-high 16 points and the eighth-seeded Red Storm came back to beat the ninth-seeded Bulldogs.

Skye Owen added 13 points and Lashae Dwyer scored 10 as St. John’s (16-14) shot 58.3 percent from the field and turned 16 takeaways into 24 points. St. John’s will meet top-seeded UConn in the next round.

Sydney Jaynes scored 14 points and Lily Zeinstra had 11 for Butler (15-17). The Bulldogs led 16-10 after one quarter before the Red Storm grabbed the lead for good in the third and won the fourth period 17-6.

Xavier 80, DePaul 73

Freshman Meri Kanerva scored a season-high 28 points, Aizhanique Mayo added a career-high 27 and the 11th-seeded Musketeers surprised the sixth-seeded Blue Demons.

Kanerva and Mayo helped Xavier (7-23) race out to an 18-2 lead, and the Musketeers led by as many as 22 after Mayo’s back-to-back 3-pointers midway through the third quarter. DePaul (13-19) rallied all the way back to tie the game at 62 with 5:04 to play, but Xavier shot 15-for-16 from the foul line in the fourth quarter to pull out the upset.

Mayo made 6 of 10 attempts from the arc as Xavier shot 11-for-24 on 3-pointers. Tae’lor Purvis scored 12 for the Musketeers, who will face third-seeded Seton Hall next. Jorie Allen paced DePaul with 28 points and 12 rebounds.

–Field Level Media