VILLANOVA, Pa.—It was a day for celebration at Finneran Pavilion on Sunday afternoon as Villanova honored its graduating seniors before its final regular season home game versus No. 12 DePaul and then recognized head coach Harry Perretta in a ceremony on the court following the contest.  Perretta is in his 42^nd year as Wildcats head coach and has announced that he will retire following the season.  His current team gave him a perfect sendoff with a 76-58 upset victory over the nationally-ranked Blue Demons. 
 
More than 50 former players, head coaches from other Wildcats teams and numerous Villanova and BIG EAST dignitaries were in attendance and joined Perretta on the court as a tribute video played.  Perretta was presented with a framed Villanova jersey bearing the number '42' in recognition of his years of tenure on the Wildcats sideline.  Perretta has won 781 games during his head coaching tenure and ranks 13^th on the all-time list of women's basketball coaching victories.  He is tied with Yvonne Kaufmann of Elizabethtown College (1971-2012) for the most seasons at one school all-time in all divisions of NCAA women's college basketball.
 
The members of the senior class of 2020 who were honored before the game include team manager Jimmy Davis, guard Cameron Onken, forward Bridget Herlihy and forward Mary Gedaka.  They have collectively been part of a Villanova team that is 78-48 (.619) during their careers.  The team has made one NCAA Tournament appearance and earned two WNIT berths, with a fourth straight postseason appearance still possible this season.  The senior class has compiled a 42-28 (.600) in regular season BIG EAST action and recorded three 20-win seasons. 
 
It was Perretta who was the center court attraction as the crowd of 2,421 stayed in their seats to cheer on one of the most popular and well-recognized coaches that women's college basketball has ever seen.  Beyond the longevity and the countless accomplishments for Perretta's teams both on and off the court is the national respect that he has brought to the game and the university he has called home for nearly half a century.  The dean of BIG EAST and Big 5 caoches, Perretta has long been a crowd favorite wherever he goes.  He is one of the most animated and vocal coaches in the country, continually instructing his players on the most intricate details during the course of a game.  His teams have been known every year for their aggressive play, disciplined style, defensive prowess and pre-game preparations for an opponent. 
 
Even as a teacher of basketball, Perretta has always recognized the importance of the overall college experience.  In his 42 years at Villanova, 99 percent of the student-athletes who have stayed all four years has received her degree.  The women's basketball program has been continuously cited for its elite academic achievement, including most recently this past fall when the Wildcats earned a 100 percent Graduation Success Rate in data released by the NCAA.
 
The three members of the senior class exited to a loud ovation with 37 seconds remaining and the game well in hand.  After being presented with his commemorative jersey, Perretta was mobbed on the court by his former players and others for numerous photo opportunities as the celebration ramped up.  The party on the court lasted long after the pomp and circumstance on a day that few if any in attendance wanted to see end. 
 
It wasn't just Perretta who was feted by the adoring Villanova fans.  The senior class had a well-deserved moment of their own before the game.  The first to be introduced was Davis, a communications major who has been a four-year team manager and has accepted an internship position with NLV Productions following his graduation. 
 
Onken, who recorded the second triple-double in school history in the game, was recognized next.  The native of Lafayette, Ind. will graduate in May with a degree in Biology and a minor in Communications.  She has been accepted into the University of Kentucky School of Dentistry and will likely begin Dental School next fall.  She entered the game with career totals of 126 points, 244 rebounds, 88 assists and 35 steals before adding to those numbers with one of the best single-game performances in the history of the program.
 
Herlihy started the day with 552 career points, 377 rebounds, 193 assists and 128 blocked shots.  She has started every game this season and began the day averaging 8.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest while leading the Wildcats with 45 blocked shots.  She is majoring in Biology with a minor in Spanish. 
 
The final senior to be introduced is one of two members of her family who are among the top players in the history of the program.  Gedaka came into the game ranked eighth in school history with 1,470 points and 11^th in rebounding with 667 caroms (she moved into the top-10 in rebounds during the contest).  She is a two-time All-BIG EAST selection and the 2017-18 BIG EAST Sixth Player of the Year.  Gedaka has also had two semesters with a perfect 4.0 GPA, is a three-time selection to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team and recently garnered Academic All-District accolades for the current season.  Gedaka was joined by her family, including her mother Lisa (Angelotti) who was a standout player for Perretta in her own right.  Lisa currently ranks fifth in school history with 1,622 points and is fourth on the program's all-time rebounding list with 854 boards.
 
Stick around for 42 years and there are bound to be numerous family connections.  That is true for Perretta, who has coached several daughters of former players.  In addition to Gedaka, sophomore guard Sam Carangi is the daughter of Jen Snell (1991-96).  From 2016-18, Perretta coached Nicolette Juliana whose mother, Denise Lamay, played from 1983-85. 
 
Sunday's celebration may be complete but the 2019-20 season has plenty left to offer the Wildcats, who improved to 16-11 overall and 10-6 in BIG EAST play with the victory.  Two games remain on the regular season schedule, with Villanova traveling to Creighton and Providence next weekend.  The final weekend of conference action around the league will determine the seeding for the BIG EAST Championships in Chicago, Ill. next month.