MILWAUKEE – After going into the halftime break with a nine-point lead, Villanova fell into a 21-9 scoring deficit in the third quarter that led to a 64-59 loss to Marquette on Saturday afternoon at the Al McGuire Center.

Villanova (8-9, 2-3 BIG EAST) led by as many as 13 points in the contest before Marquette (11-5, 3-2 BIG EAST) caught fire in the third. The 'Cats connected on just four of their 11 shots in that frame, shooting at a 36.4% clip compared to a 42.1% showing from the Golden Eagles.

The Wildcats shot 43.9% from the field (25-of-57) in the loss led by a 16-point effort from Maddie Webber. She connected on six shots with three from long distance, adding on six boards. Maddie Burke followed her in the scoring with 10 points.

Villanova picked up an 8-0 run midway through the first quarter to take a 12-5 lead, capped by a Webber three-pointer. The Golden Eagles fell into a four-minute scoring drought after a Lee Volker layup that allowed the 'Cats to create more distance with Bronagh Power-Cassidy hitting a layup and Ryanne Allen draining a three to make it a 17-7 Villanova advantage after one.

Marquette got back within single digits to open the second quarter with baskets from Halle Vice and Jaidynn Mason, hitting a three to cut it to a six-point game, 17-11. Jaliyah Green scored all six of Villanova points before the media break of stanza. She went coast-to-coast after grabbing a rebound to hit a strong layup in the paint before sinking another layup nearly a minute and a half later to get Villanova back up 23-16 with 4:54 to play in the second.  That layup sparked another 8-0 scoring spurt for the Blue and White that finished with a Power-Cassidy tip-in for a 29-16 lead. Marquette went 6-2 to close the half with Mason hitting a jumper as time expired, sending it to the break 31-22, Villanova.

The Wildcats shot 43% from the field in the first half on a 13-30 showing compared to Marquette's 9-of-32 effort. Green led the team with eight points and six boards, five of those on the defensive end. Maddie Burke and Webber followed her with seven points each.

The Golden Eagles scored four quick points in the first two minutes of the second half, with a Kennedi Perkins' layup off a Lee Volker steal making it a 8-0 Marquette run spanning the second and third quarters. Lara Edmanson stopped the run with a layup to keep Villanova ahead, 33-26. Vice and Olivia Porter combined for nine points over the next four minutes to get Marquette within one at 36-35. Bridget Utberg hit a three in the far corner to tie it all up at 38 before Porter hit the go-ahead layup for Marquette's first lead since the first quarter, 40-38. Power-Cassidy ended a 12-2 Marquette run with a jumper in the final 30 seconds, keeping Villanova within three heading to the fourth, 43-40.

Momentum stayed on Marquette's side to open the fourth with Vice hitting a corner three and then grabbing a steal that led to a Mason layup, expanding the Golden Eagle lead to its largest of the contest at 48-40 in the first minute. Villanova closed the gap to three points with a catch and shoot three from Burke with two minutes to play, 59-56, but that was the closest the 'Cats would get down the stretch.

Vice paced Marquette with a 20 point, 12 rebound double-double. Mason followed her with 14 points.

Villanova heads back home on January 15 as it hosts DePaul. Tip-off is set for 11:30 a.m. inside the Finneran Pavilion.