Final Stats

Final Stats

CHICAGO, ILL. - The Villanova Wildcats gave a valiant effort on the road, but came up short in a 71-66 loss to the No. 24 DePaul Blue Demons. With the setback, the Wildcats fall to 20-7 overall and 10-6 in Big East play, while DePaul improves to 21-7 overall and 13-3 in conference play.

Villanova played today without the services of junior guard Adrianna Hahn who missed the game due to an injury.

Leading 53-51 after three quarters of play, the Wildcats scored on the first possession of the fourth stanza when sophomore guard Kelly Jekot scored on a driving lay-up to give her team a four point advantage. DePaul answered on its first fourth quarter possession when Lauren Prochaska converted a lay-up in the lane to make it a 55-53 game.

With the game tied at 55-55 with 6:33 on the clock, the Blue Demons took the lead for good at 58-55 when Chante Stonewall drained a three from the left wing. Two free throws by Wildcat senior Alex Louin ended a Villanova scoreless drought that lasted 3:36 and made it a one point contest at 58-57.

Following the two Louin foul shots, DePaul scored five straight points to open up a 63-57 lead at the 4:08 mark. Tanita Allen scored all five Blue Demon points on a conventional three-point play and a lay-up. The Wildcats would not get within four the rest of the way and DePaul would earn the victory.

Villanova started the game fast racing to a 10-0 lead. Louin led the early charge with five points on a three-ball and a lay-up. DePaul answered the opening Wildcat spurt by scoring 16 unanswered points to take a 16-10 lead. The Blue Demons would lead 18-12 after the opening 10 minutes of play.

The Wildcats trailed 21-12 early in the second quarter, when Villanova went on a 12-2 run to take a 24-23 advantage with 6:35 remaining until halftime. Back-to-back three-balls by Jekot started the spurt, before sophomore forward Mary Gedaka connected on two lay-ups. Junior Jannah Tucker scored on a lay-up for the other two Wildcat points.
A lay-up by Louin with nine seconds left in the quarter sent the teams to intermission tied at 37-37.

In the loss, Jekot led Villanova with 17 points, while Louin finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Gedaka and Tucker chipped in with 12 points each.

DePaul was paced by Ashton Millender who had a game-high 19 points and Amarah Coleman who had 15 points.

For the game, Villanova was 24-of-64 from the field (37.5%), 8-of-25 from three-point range (32.0%) and 10-of-12 from the foul line (83.3%), while the Blue Demons shot 40.0 percent from the floor (24-of-60), 33.3 percent from behind the arc (8-of-24) and 65.2 percent from the charity stripe (15-of-23). DePaul owned a 41-36 on the backboards.

Villanova returns to action on Friday, Feb. 23, with a home game versus the Providence Friars. Tip-off at the Jake Nevin Field House is set for 7 p.m.

NOTES: Villanova split the season series with DePaul this yearââ'¬Â¦The Wildcats finish the regular season with a 10-4 road recordââ'¬Â¦Mary Gedaka has scored in double figures in 10 of her last 12 gamesââ'¬Â¦The Wildcats had an assist on 17 of their 24 field goalsââ'¬Â¦Grace Stant scored a season-high seven points todayââ'¬Â¦Cameron Onken made her first career start and logged a career-high 21 minutes.