By: J.J. Pavlick | Mohegan Sun- Uncasville, CT | March 6, 2026
The 2026 Big East Women’s Tournament tipped off with a game that delivered every ounce of March intensity: pace, grit, heartbreak, and a finish that left the Mohegan Sun crowd buzzing. Butler and Georgetown staged a classic, both teams putting their identities on display and setting the standard for the madness to come.
Dawgs Unleash Early Fury
Butler stormed out of the kennel with trademark Bad Dawgs bite, dictating the pace and energy from the opening tip. Mallory Miller’s putback opened the scoring, and the Dawgs were off to the races, grabbing a 17-11 lead after the first quarter. Rebounding, second-chance points, and relentless hustle set the tone. McKenna Johnson splashed a three, Anna Wypych cashed in off a turnover, and Nevaeh Jackson’s buzzer-beater triple capped a statement opening period.
Halftime Edge and Dawg Attitude
Butler kept the pedal down, leading 30-23 at the half and outshooting the Hoyas 42.3% to 27.8% (50% to 20% from three). Every Butler run was matched by a Hoya answer, but the Dawgs’ chemistry and intensity shone through.
Head Coach Austin Parkinson praised his squad: “Their attitudes were great, their focus was great, they were locked into the game plan. We fought, we played really hard.”
Wypych, shooting 4-8 in her Big East Tournament debut, credited her confidence to her coach and teammates: “Just having the mindset of ‘the next one is going in’—that lets me knock those down.”
Hoyas Flip the Script—And Tighten the Jaw
The third quarter belonged to Georgetown. The Hoyas, led by Coach Darnell Haney, ramped up their signature defensive intensity and hammered the glass, finishing with 18 offensive boards. But it was Haney’s halftime adjustments that we asked him about—and he gave a story from his Miami childhood—that perfectly explained Georgetown’s approach.
Haney told his players about collecting lizards as a kid in Miami: “I used to collect lizards and make them my pet. I would get a glass jar, put the lizard in, and tighten the lid. I’d come back the next morning and the lizard was gone. We call it the ‘Hoya effect.’ Every quarter, we want to tighten the jaw, wear the opponent down, and let all the work we’ve done shine in the fourth.”
Georgetown Head Coach Darnell Haney, answer to J.J. Pavlick Bad Dawg Sports Question
That philosophy was on full display. The Hoyas tightened the defensive screws with each period, wearing down the Dawgs and flipping a halftime deficit into a 44-42 lead entering the fourth. Brianna Scott dominated the glass (“We harp on offensive rebounding every day. It’s our identity.”), and the Hoyas’ physicality started to tip the scales.
Fourth Quarter: A True Dogfight
Georgetown kept Butler at bay early in the final frame, but the Dawgs would not go quietly. Late buckets by Butler made it a one-possession game with just over two minutes to play. The drama soared—a Georgetown charge erased a chance to extend the lead, but Butler’s airball with 1:20 left proved costly. The Hoyas capitalized, and despite a last-gasp Butler triple with 6.6 remaining, clutch free throws by Georgetown’s Laila Jewett and company iced it: 62-58, Hoyas.
Butler finished the fourth shooting 46.2% from the floor, 60% from three, but just 1-2 at the line. Georgetown’s 8-for-9 free throw shooting in the final period proved the difference, with Jewett’s steady hand the definition of clutch:
“If I’m going to the line, nine times out of ten, it’s going in. That’s something I trust and believe in.”
Beyond the Box Score: Heart, Growth, and What’s Next
The postgame press conferences revealed the character and hunger in both locker rooms. Parkinson praised his team’s resilience: “We’ve got a group that can hopefully learn from this and take it to next year.” Wypych reflected on team chemistry and the bittersweet loss of graduating seniors: “Our chemistry on and off the court was special… It stings that some seniors are graduating, but it was a really good experience.”
On the Georgetown side, Haney’s “Hoya effect” had become more than a metaphor—it was a winning formula. Brianna Scott’s physicality and rebounding (“It’s something that we do. It’s our identity.”) and the players’ gratitude for postseason opportunity were at the forefront. Both Scott and Jewett spoke to the priceless nature of playing in March: “Not a lot of teams get to say they played in one in March. It’s a blessing.”
The Verdict
The Dawgs set the tone and played with grit, but the Hoyas made the championship plays when it mattered most. The first game of the 2026 Big East Tournament served up everything you hope for in March: relentless effort, brilliant adjustments, raw emotion, and the kind of memories that stick long after the final horn. Both teams left Mohegan Sun with their identities on display—and a Big East opener worthy of the madness to come.
Bad Dawg Sports Newsletter
The Big East Tournament Opener set a high bar for the rest of the month, proving that in March, it’s all about who can “tighten the jaw” in the final minutes. Stay court-side with us. Subscribe to our daily sports newsletter for exclusive tournament recaps and bracket updates for just $2/year.
Discover more from Bad Dawg Sports - Global Sports Coverage & Analysis
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
