NEW YORK – Villanova erased a seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter, but a go-ahead bucket and a foul shot opportunity for Abbey Hsu in the final eight seconds helped lift Columbia over the Wildcats 77-75 on Sunday at Levien Gymnasium.
The loss snaps a four-game winning streak for Villanova (5-2).
Lucy Olsen led all players with 33 points, bringing her to 11 20+-point games in her career and her second-highest scoring output on the season. She has scored at least 30 in back-to-back games and was a perfect 7-of-7 from the foul line. Both she and
Maddie Burke were the lone 'Cats to land in double figures with Burke adding 16 points.
Turnovers proved to be costly for the Wildcats as they committed a season-high 12. Columbia (5-4) capitalized on the pilfers with 11 points off of those turnovers. Four Lions finished the afternoon in double figures with Abbey Hsu leading the group with 22 points.
Villanova jumped onto a 7-0 run to build up a 9-3 lead early in the opening stanza. The Lions fought to get within a point two different times in the frame, but a three from Olsen and a second-chance layup from
Christina Dalce gave the 'Cats an 18-12 advantage after the first.
Columbia took its first lead of the day thanks to a Paige Lauder layup that capped a 5-0 scoring run for the Lions. Olsen ended the spurt with a jumper to give Villanova a 26-25 lead.
Kaitlyn Orihel drained a long ball to tie the game at 29-29, but a two-minute scoring drought down the stretch put the Wildcats down 31-29 at the break.
Maddie Burke opened the second half with a three-pointer to get Villanova back ahead by one. The lead flip-flopped for the better part of two minutes before Villanova took hold of a 4-0 run on a
Bella Runyan jumper and a pair of Olsen three throws for a 39-36 advantage. Villanova found itself facing a nine-point deficit late in the third, but a three-pointer from Olsen cut Columbia's lead to six at the end of the third, 54-48. The junior guard recorded 11 of Villanova's 19 points in the quarter.
Columbia's trio of Hsu, Kitty Henderson and Riley Weiss built a seven-point lead four minutes into the fourth. Villanova erased its deficit thanks to a Burke layup and a pair of Olsen layups and a free throw to tie the contest at 65-65 with 4:15 to play. The 'Cats pushed ahead by three points thanks to a Runyan three and again on a pair of makes from the foul line from Olsen, holding a 74-71 lead with just under a minute and a half to play. After a Runyan free throw made it a 75-73 lead for the 'Cats, she was whistled for a foul with eight seconds remaining as Hsu made the bucket that would send her to the line for the go-ahead free throw to make it a 76-75 Columbia lead. Henderson put it away with one last free throw in the final two seconds.
Villanova is back at home on Tuesday, Dec. 5 to host Penn. Game time is set for 7 p.m. inside Finneran Pavilion.
NOTES: Olsen's 33-point day marks her third 30+-point outing this season. She shots 12-of-20 from the field to match a career high for made field goals … Runyan reset her career-high with eight assists … As a whole, Villanova notched a new season-high with eight blocks, five of those from Dalce to match a career-high … This was just the second all-time meeting with the Lions, leveling the overall series at 1-1.
