VILLANOVA, PA. -- In women's basketball action on Wednesday evening, the No. 19 Villanova Wildcats registered a 73-54 win over the visiting Marquette Golden Eagles. With the victory, the Wildcats improve to 19-4 overall and 10-2 in BIG EAST play, while Marquette falls to 14-8 on the year and 7-6 in league action.
 
After a sluggish first quarter where the score was tied at 13-13 after one, Villanova took control of the game with its second quarter effort. The Wildcats out-scored Marquette by a 24-4 margin in the second stanza to open-up a 37-17 lead at halftime.
 
Senior forward Maddy Siegrist was dominant in the second quarter scoring 14 of her team's 24 points on 6-of-9 shooting. At one point during the quarter, Siegrist scored eight consecutive Wildcat points.
 
The Villanova defense was outstanding in the second quarter holding Marquette to just 2-of-18 from the field and 0-for-2 from three in the period. The Golden Eagles also committed four second quarter turnovers.
 
Villanova led 45-25 with 7:00 remaining in the third quarter, when the Golden Eagles scored four straight points to slice the Wildcat advantage to 45-29. The Wildcats quickly responded with a 9-2 run to put the game away and take a 54-31 advantage. The nine Villanova points included a lay-up and two free throws by sophomore center Christina Dalce, a 15-foot jumper by sophomore guard Lucy Olsen and a three-ball by junior Maddie Burke.
 
The Wildcats would lead by as many as 25 and Marquette would not get within 19 in the fourth quarter.
 
In the win, Siegrist led the way with 24 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. Dalce posted her second career double-double with a career-high tying 13 points and 14 rebounds. Olsen finished with 16 points, six assists and four steals.
 
Marquette was paced by Jordan King with 18 points and Chloe Marotta who had 12 points and nine rebounds.
 
For the game, Villanova was 26-of-61 from the field (42.6%), 7-of-19 from three-point range (36.8%) and 14-of-17 from the foul line (82.4%), while Marquette shot 31.1 percent from the floor (19-of-61), 25.0 percent from long distance (7-of-19) and 82.4 percent from the charity stripe (14-of-17). Villanova committed just eight turnovers.        
Villanova hits the road on Saturday, Feb. 4, to take on the Butler Bulldogs. Tip-off at Hinkle Fieldhouse is set for 2 p.m.
 
NOTES: Villanova has won four in a row over Marquette…The Wildcats improve to 8-1 at home and have won 19 of the last 20 games played at the Finneran Pavilion…Maddy Siegrist has scored 20 or more points in all 25 games this season…Siegrist now has 74 career games of 20 points or more…Lucy Olsen has scored double figures in 15 games this year, including the last four in a row.