NEWARK, DEL. – In non conference women's basketball action on Wednesday evening, the Villanova Wildcats traveled to Newark, Delaware, where they registered a 75-65 win over the Delaware Blue Hens. With the victory, the Wildcats improve to 6-5 on the season, while Delaware falls to 3-6 on the year.
The Wildcats made eight of their first 11 shots and raced to an early 19-7 lead. Grad student guard Bronagh Power-Cassidy led the way with 10 of the 19 points, Villanova would finish the quarter connecting on 11-of-16 from the field and 3-of-6 from three-point range and lead 27-11 after one period of play.
Delaware was just 4-of-15 from the floor and 1-of-3 from long distance in the opening quarter.
A lay-up by freshman guard Jasmine Bascoe gave Villanova its largest lead of the opening half at 31-13 with 8:10 remaining in the second quarter. Following the Bascoe bucket, Delaware scored four straight points to make it a 31-17 game.
The Wildcats pushed the lead to 35-18 on a jumper by Maddie Webber at the 3:40 mark, before the Blue Hens got baskets by Jiya Parry and Ande'a Cherisler to slice the Villanova advantage to 35-22. Webber closed out the first half scoring for Villanova on a driving lay-up, before Cherisler made two free throws for the Blue Hens and the Wildcats led 40-27 at intermission.
Power-Cassidy scored 13 first half points to lead Villanova, while Webber added 10 points.
After two free throws by Ella Wanzer cut the Villanova lead to 47-39, the Wildcats got back-to-back three-point field goals by Kaitlyn Orihel and Bascoe to push the lead back to 14 at 53-39. The two triples propelled Villanova on an 11-6 run to end the period and to a 58-45 lead entering the fourth quarter. The other five points in the spurt, included a short jumper by Lara Edmanson and a three-ball by Webber.
A basket by Delaware guard Tara Cousins got the Blue Hens within single digits at 67-59 with 3:12 remaining in regulation. On the game's next possession, Bascoe buried a triple from the corner to increase the Wildcat advantage to 70-59. Delaware came back with two free throws to make it a 70-61 game, before Orihel scored on a lay-up and Villanova held a 72-61 lead with 1:59 on the clock.
Delaware forward Chole Wilson scored the game's next four points to slice the Villanova lead to 72-65 at the 1:06 mark. Villanova then put the game away on its two possessions by going 3-of-4 from the foul line.
In the win, Webber led four Wildcats in double figures with 17 points, while Power-Cassidy had 16 points, including a 4-of-6 effort from three-point range. Edmanson was 6-of-7 from the floor and had 14 points, while Bascoe chipped in with 12 points.
Delaware was paced by Wilson who had a double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds and Cousins who added 14 points.
For the game, Villanova was 29-of-57 from the field (50.9%), 10-of-21 from three-point range (47.6%) and 7-of-10 from the foul line (70.0%), while Delaware shot 36.1 percent from the floor (22-of-61), 50.0 percent from long distance (7-of-14) and 77.8 percent from the charity stripe (14-of-18). Delaware owned a 39-30 advantage on the backboards.
Villanova returns to action on Sunday afternoon when the James Madison Dukes visit the Finneran Pavilion. Game time is set for 2 p.m.
NOTES: Tonight was just the third meeting in the last 13 seasons between Villanova and Delaware…Bronagh Power-Cassidy went over the 1,500 career-point mark in tonight's win. She now has 1,508 career points…Jasmine Bascoe has reached double figures in 10 of the 11 games this season…Denise Dillon earned her 99th career win as the Villanova head coach…The Wildcats had 30 points in the paint in the win.
