PRINCETON, N.J. – After leading for most of the contest, Villanova overcame a second-half surge from No. 25 Princeton with a 12-0 scoring run to lock down a 69-59 win on Friday night at the Jadwin Gymnasium. 

Villanova (2-0) led by as many as 13 points early in the third quarter but saw its lead go away early in the fourth after a 9-0 scoring run by Princeton (1-1) which put the Tigers ahead by one. The sides exchanged a few baskets before Villanova took control with a 12-0 sprint through the final 3:38 to win. 

Maddie Siegrist finished with a season-high 32 points, the most of anyone on the court in the contest. She was 12-of-17 from the floor and tacked on 13 rebounds for the 39th double-double of her career. 

Villanova's first field goal of the game came at the 6:41 mark of the first when Christina Dalce scored the hoop and harm to tie it at six. The group found a 5-0 scoring run later in the opening frame with a Lucy Olsen jumper and a Maddy Siegrist three-pointer pushing the 'Cats out to a 16-12 advantage. Princeton hit a trio of threes to retake the lead, but Siegrist kept the Wildcats within one at 21-20 just before the end of the first quarter. 

The second quarter was all Villanova, outscoring Princeton 21-9 in the frame. A 7-0 stretch of scoring from a Maddie Burke three-pointer and pair of layups from Zanai Jones and Lucy Olsen gave the group an eight-point lead, 33-25. The Wildcats kept their foot on the pedal heading into the break, closing the half hitting seven of their last eight shots with a 5-of-6 showing from behind the arc to lead 41-30 at halftime. 

Siegrist led the group with 17 points and eight boards in the first half. Olsen added on 12 points and three rebounds. The pair were a combined 5-of-6 from long distance as the 'Cats shot 72-percent from the field, going 8-of-11. As a group, Villanova held Princeton to just nine points in the second quarter and 34-percent shooting in the entire first half.  

Each of Villanova's first eight points in the third came from Siegrist, but Princeton pushed its way back into the contest shooting 57-percent in the frame and scoring four of the last six points in the quarter. Villanova shot just 35-percent in the third, giving way to a 53-49 advantage heading into the fourth. 

The Tigers used a 9-0 scoring run spanning the end of the third and start of the fourth to take a 54-53 lead. Olsen answered with a quick jumper but that was counteracted by a Paige Morton jumper to give Princeton the lead again, 56-55. Dalce used an up-and-under move to give the 'Cats a one-point advantage but Julia Cunningham landed a three-ball to push Princeton back out, 59-57. A Dalce free throw and an Olsen three spurred the final scoring run the Wildcats would need to win the contest. Momentum fully swung Villanova's way when Siegrist was fouled on a tough inside turnaround jumper that turned into a three-point play at the line to make it a 65-59 advantage. Olsen and Kaitlyn Orihel finished off the scoring with two free throws each for the 69-59 win. 

Villanova shot 87-percent from the free throw line while going 45-percent from the field. It held Princeton to a 38-percent shooting clip on the night. 

Cunningham paced the Tigers with 18 points and six boards while Grace Stone added 17 points. 

Villanova continues its road swing on Thursday, Nov. 17 as it travels to the Palestra to face Penn. Tip-off for that contest is set for 7 p.m. in Philadelphia.