PARADISE ISLAND, The Bahamas – After leading through most of the first half, Villanova faced second half scoring woes as it fell to Baylor, 73-62 on Monday afternoon inside imperial Arena.
 
Villanova (4-3) shot 33.3 percent for the game after going 13-of-32 in the first half for a 40.6 shooting clip, 6-of-9 from long distance, and dipping down to 25.8-percent shooting in the second half. Overall, the Wildcats were efficient from the line, going 9-of-12 for a 75-percent showing. The team hit a season-high 11 three-pointers in the loss. Baylor (5-2) used a 12-point scoring run spanning the second and third quarters to put momentum on its side for the victory.
 
Denae Carter paced the 'Cats with 13 points and a 6-of-8 showing from the foul line, adding six boards and two steals. Jasmine Bascoe set a new team high for the year with seven assists, filling her stat line with 12 points and two steals. Maddie Burke also reached double figures with 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting, three of those coming from long distance.
 
Villanova used a 9-3 run through the middle of the first that was capped by a Burke three to take a 14-8 advantage with 4:25 to play in the frame. Lara Edmanson scored all six of Villanova's final points in the quarter, helping the 'Cats to a 23-19 lead through the first. Villanova hit all four of its long-distance chances in the quarter with threes from Burke, Bronagh Power-Cassidy, Bascoe and Edmanson.
 
Baylor tied the contest at 26-26 with a Aaronette Vonleh layup early in the second and stayed within striking distance for the next two minutes until a Power-Cassidy three and a Burke jumper put Villanova back ahead by five at 37-32 with just over five minutes to play in the half. Neither side could get a basket to drop for the next four minutes until Jada Walker hit a free throw at the 1:40 mark to spur a 4-0 run for the Bears to close the half, making it a 37-36 Villanova lead at the break.
 
Bascoe led the Wildcats with 10 points in the first half, followed closely by Edmanson with eight. Villanova shot 66.7% from three-point range in the opening 20, hitting six of its nine attempts. The team was 13-of-32 from the field for a 40.6 shooting clip compared to a 63.6 percent effort from the Bears, hitting 14 of 22 attempts. Vonleh led Baylor with 10 points.
 
Baylor opened the second half on an 8-0 run to take a 44-37 lead. Jaliyah Green hit a long two to end a nearly 10-minute scoring drought for Nova spanning the second and third quarters, cutting Baylor's lead to five. Carter added a three seconds later to get the 'Cats within two at 44-42 with 5:01 left in the stanza. Villanova's hot hand from long distance resurfaced late with a three from Maddie Webber and back-to-back treys from Burke putting Villanova back ahead 53-51 in the final minute. Darianna Littlepage-Buggs hit a straight-on jumper at the buzzer to tie the contest at 53-all to send the game to the fourth.
 
Power-Cassidy put Villanova within a point on a three-pointer almost two minutes in the fourth at 57-56. A 9-0 run for Baylor through the back half of the frame put the game in the Bears' hands for their largest lead of the day at 13 points, 73-60. The 'Cats were outscored 20-9 in the final frame.
 
Baylor had four players in double-digits led by Aaronette Vonleh with 19 points. The Bears shot 58.7 percent on 27-of-46 shooting, 5-of-11 from three-point range.
 
Villanova is back in action on Sunday as it heads into Philadelphia to wrap up Big Five pod play against Saint Joseph's at 2 p.m. inside Hagan Arena.