MILWAUKEE, WIS. – The Villanova Wildcats saw their 10-game winning streak come to an end on Sunday afternoon with an 85-69 road loss at Marquette. With the setback, the Wildcats fall to 12-3 overall and 5-1 in BIG EAST play, while the Golden Eagles improve to 10-5 on the year and 4-2 in league action.
Three-point shooting was the story in the first quarter, as Marquette connected on 4-of-6 from long distance and Villanova was 0-for-4. The Golden Eagles used the hot shooting to lead 23-14 after one quarter of play.
Skylar Forbes led the way from behind the arc in the game's first 10 minutes, making two triples, including a four-point play. Halle Vice was 2-of-2 from three for Marquette. Villanova sophomore guard
Jasmine Bascoe led the Wildcats in the first stanza with eight points.
After Villanova sophomore guard
Dani Ceseretti drained a three from the corner to pull Villanova within two at 34-32 with 2:37 remaining in the second quarter, the Golden Eagles went on an 8-0 run to open-up a 43-32 advantage. Vice was dominant in the run scoring all eight points on two three-point field goals and a post move in the paint. Vice finished with 22 first half points.
The Wildcats scored the final four points of the half on a 15-foot jumper by
Ryanne Allen and a breakaway lay-up by Bascoe that sent the teams to halftime with Marquette leading 42-36. Bascoe led Villanova in the opening half with 10 points.
Marquette scored 13 of the first 16 points of the second half to take a 55-39 lead. Golden Eagle guard Jaidynn Mason led the spurt with six points. The Golden Eagles would get the lead to 59-41, before Ceseretti and
Ryanne Allen connected on back-to-back baskets to make it a 59-45 game.
The Golden Eagles closed out the third quarter scoring when Vice made two free throws with four seconds on the clock. The Vice foul shots gave Marquette a 61-45 lead after three.
A jumper by Mason gave Marquette its largest lead of the game at 73-53 with 6:22 to play. Villanova made one last run at the Golden Eagles and went on a 13-5 run to slice the lead to 77-67 at the 2:24 mark.
Following a scoreless possession by each team, Marquette put the game away when Vice scored on a lay-up and was fouled with 1:31 on the clock. The three-point play gave Marquette an 80-67 advantage.
Bascoe led the Wildcats in the loss with 20 points, while freshman
Kennedy Henry had 15 points. Ceseretti was the third Wildcat in double figures with a career-high 12 points to go with five rebounds and four assists.
Marquette was paced by Vice who had a career-high 32 points to go with 11 rebounds. Forbes and Mason had 20 points each.
For the game, Villanova was 29-of-59 form the field (49.2%), 6-of-22 from three-point range (27.3%) and 5-of-5 from the foul line (100.0%0, while Marguette shot 51.7 percent from the floor (31-of-60), 61.1 percent from long distance (11-of-18) and 70.6 percent from the charity stripe (12-of-17). The Golden Eagles owned a 36-26 advantage on the backboards.
Villanova returns home on Thursday, Jan. 8, when the Xavier Musketeers come to town for an afternoon tilt. Game time is set for 11:30 a.m.
