VILLANOVA, PA. – In BIG EAST women's basketball action on Tuesday evening at the Finneran Pavilion, the No. 15 Villanova Wildcats registered a 67-64 win over the visiting DePaul Blue Demons. With the victory, Villanova improves to 24-5 on the year and 15-3 in BIG EAST play, while DePaul falls to 15-14 on the year and 8-10 in league action.
DePaul led 18-14 early in the second quarter when Villanova star forward Maddy Siegrist took over the game. Siegrist scored 15 consecutive Villanova points to help the Wildcats to a 29-23 lead with 3:22 remaining in the opening half. The only points scored the rest of the half came on a three-ball by junior Bella Runyan.
Siegrist finished the first half with 20 points and Villanova led 32-23 at intermission. Neither team shot the ball well in the game's first 20 minutes with Villanova connecting on 11-of-37 from the field and 5-of-14 from three, while DePaul was 10-of-35 and 1-of-7.
Villanova opened the third quarter on a 9-2 run to take a 41-25 advantage. Siegrist started the half on a lay-up in the paint, before sophomore guard Lucy Olsen drained a three from the left wing. Sophomore center Christina Dalce finished the spurt with back-to-back lay-ups.
The Wildcats used the opening run to control play throughout the third stanza and lead 56-42 after three.
Villanova led 59-48 with 7:23 to play, when the Blue Demons scored 10 consecutive points to cut the Wildcat advantage to 59-58 at the 4:34 mark. After Wildcat freshman Megan Olbrys ended the scoreless drought with a lay-up that made it a 61-58 game neither team scored for the next 2:13.
DePaul's Aneesah Morrow pulled DePaul within one at 61-60 with 2:01 to play when she scored on a running lay-up. Following a Villanova turnover, DePaul had three shots to take the lead, but the Blue Demons misfired on all three attempts. Siegrist grabbed the rebound on the third miss and was fouled with 47 seconds to go and sent to the line for two shots. Siegrist sank both free throws and Villanova led 63-60.
On the game's next possession, the Wildcats came up with the defensive stop and Siegrist was fouled with 32 seconds on the clock. Siegrist calmly made both free throws to increase the Villanova lead to 65-60. The Wildcats put the game away and went up 67-60 when Brooke Mullin scored on a breakaway lay-up with 16 seconds remaining.
In the win, Siegrist recorded a double-double with 28 points and 16 rebounds to go with three assists, three blocks and three steals. Dalce finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.
DePaul was paced by Morrow with 29 points and 19 rebounds and Darrione Rogers who had 17 points with 15 of the 17 coming in the second half. Anaya Peoples was the third Blue Demon in double figures with 10 points.
For the game, Villanova was 24-of-67 from the field (35.8%), 8-of-23 from three-point range (34.8%) and 11-of-15 from the foul line (73.3%), while DePaul shot 33.8 percent from the floor (26-of-77), 21.1 percent from long distance (4-of-19) and 72.7 percent from then charity stripe (8-of-11). DePaul owned a 50-47 advantage on the backboards.
The Wildcats return to action on Friday, Feb. 24, when the Providence College Friars come to town for Senior Night. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
NOTES: Christina Dalce set the single season program record for blocks with 66…Villanova improves to 10-2 at home this season…Maddy Siegrist has scored 226 points in eight career games versus DePaul…The Wildcats have won 15 of their last 17 games…Maddy Siegrist now has 52 career double-doubles, including 15 this season…Villanova has made at least one three-point field goal in 610 consecutive games.
