VILLANOVA, PA. -- In women's basketball action on Saturday evening, the Villanova Wildcats won for the fifth time in the last six games with a 74-53 win over the visiting Georgetown Hoyas. With the victory, Villanova improves to 11-7 overall and 5-2 in BIG EAST play, while Georgetown falls to 4-13 overall and 1-6 in conference action.
Villanova shot 64.3 percent in the first quarter to lead 23-14 after one. Junior guard Raven James led the charge in the opening 10 minutes with seven points on 3-of-4 shooting.
Leading 31-26 with 4:42 to play in the second quarter, the Wildcats used a 9-0 run to take a 40-26 advantage at the 1:05 mark. Senior forward Bridget Herlihy was sensational in the run scoring seven of the nine points, including a three-ball and two lay-ups off post moves.
Georgetown sliced the Villanova lead to single digits at halftime by scoring the last five points of the opening half. Senior guard Taylor Barnes scored all five Hoya points on two free throws and a three-point field goal.
Villanova held Georgetown scoreless for the first 5:24 of the third quarter, as the Wildcats opened up a commanding 52-32 lead. Redshirt freshman forward Maddy Siegrist and junior guard Cameron Onken sparked the Wildcat offense during the stretch. Siegrist scored five early second half points and Onken added a lay-up and two free throws.
After the Wildcats took the 52-32 lead, the Hoyas would not get within 16 the rest of the way and Villanova would lead by as many as 26 and cruise to the victory.
In the win, Villanova was led by Herlihy and senior forward Mary Gedaka who had 17 points each. Herlihy also had five rebounds, five assists and four blocks, while Gedaka added five rebounds and three assists. Siegrist registered a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds and Onken finished with 13 points and six rebounds.
Georgetown was paced by Barnes who finished with 14 points and Nikola Kovacikova who had 13 points.
For the game, Villanova was 27-of-59 from the field (45.8%), 11-of-25 from three-point range (44.0%) and 9-of-12 from the foul line (75.0%) and the Hoyas shot 31.6 percent from the floor (18-of-57), 36.8 percent from behind the arc (7-of-19) and 90.9 percent from the charity stripe (10-of-11). Villanova owned a 41-32 advantage on the backboards.
Villanova returns to action on Friday, Jan. 24, when the Wildcats travel to Chicago to take on the DePaul Blue Demons. Tip-off is se for 8 p.m., eastern time.
NOTES: 75 former players returned to take part in today's Alumnae Game… Maddy Siegrist now has a Big East leading eight double-doubles on the season…Cameron Onken tied her career-high with three, three-point field goals…Villanova has defeated Georgetown in 12 of the last 16 meetings and leads the all-time series by a 43-24 count…The Wildcats are 11-4 in their last 15 games…Mary Gedaka tallied her 69th career double figure scoring game in tonight's victory…Villanova had an assist on 19 of its 27 field goals.
