VILLANOVA, PA. – In a women's basketball matinee on Thursday afternoon, the Villanova Wildcats tallied a 67-50 win over the visiting Xavier Musketeers. With the victory, Villanova improves to 13-3 overall and 6-1 in BIG EAST play, while Xavier falls to 9-7 on the year and 2-5 in league action.

The first quarter was a defensive battle with neither team able to get on track on the offensive end of the floor. Villanova started the game just 1-of-8 from the field, while Xavier was 2-of-7.

Savannah White made two free throws with 1:39 remaining in the opening quarter to give Xavier an 11-9 lead. Villanova then ran off eight straight points to lead 17-11 after the first period. The eight points included three-balls by Ryanne Allen and Kelsey Joens and a lay-up by Jasmine Bascoe.

Villanova started the second quarter on a 14-4 run to open-up a 31-15 lead midway through the second quarter. Freshman guard MD Ntambue gave the Wildcats a spark off the bench, scoring seven points in the spurt.

The Wildcats used the run to propel them to a 33-20 halftime lead. Five Wildcats had six points or more in the first half led by Bascoe with eight. The Wildcats made 12 first half field goals with nine of the 12 coming from three-point range. Villanova forced Xavier into 12 first half turnovers that they converted into 18 points.

After a Denae Carter bucket gave Villanova a 42-27 lead with 5:31 to play in the third quarter, the Musketeers scored eight unanswered points to make it a 42-35 game. Mariyah Noel and Savannah White accounted for all eight of the Xavier points, with Noel scoring five and White three.

Two free throws by Noel cut the Villanova advantage to 46-39 with under a minute to play in the third period. Joens closed out the third quarter scoring when she drained a triple from the corner to make it a 49-39 game after three.

Leading 54-45 with 8:13 to play in the game, Villanova got a three-ball from Joens to go back up double figures at 57-45. Following two free throws by Xavier, Joens drained another triple and Villanova led 60-47 at the 3:31 mark.

After two empty possessions by Xavier, the Wildcats put the game away when Dani Ceseretti scored on a one-handed jumper in the lane to give Villanova a 62-47 lead with 2:11 on the clock.

Joens led all scorers in the win with a career-high 18 points on a 6-of-10 shooting effort from three-point range. The six threes also represent a career-high. Bascoe finished with 15 points and seven assists, while Brynn McCurry added 10 points and seven rebounds.

Xavier was paced by Noel and White who had 16 points each.

For the game, Villanova was 25-of-64 from the field (39.1%), 15-of-32 from three-point range (46.9%) and 2-of-2 from the foul line, while Xavier shot 42.9 percent from the floor (18-of-42), 30.8 percent from long distance (4-of-13) and 62.5 percent from the charity stripe (10-of-16).

Villanova returns to action on Sunday with a road game at Providence. Game time is set for noon.
 

-vvvvv-