Women’s basketball is off to its best start since 2002 with a 4-0 record, with two of these wins coming this past weekend at the URI invitational tournament.

The girls entered into the tournament this past weekend facing a quick Mississippi squad with a 3-0 record. Strong defense in the second half and a hot Jackie Adamshick took care of the Lady Rebels. Adamshick totaled 24 points and 10 boards for her first double-double of the year. Liad Suez also chimed in with 18 points and eight dimes.

‘Nova got off to a strong start against Ole Miss, sprinting out to a 12-point lead in the beginning minutes, working hard to outscore a talented team who posted 110 points in their opener. What sealed the victory for the girls was defense, holding Mississippi to 31 percent from the field and beating them all over the glass. With this win Villanova advanced to the championship game of the tournament against URI.

While the game against Ole Miss may have been dominated by Adamschick and Suez, they shared the load against URI. Four girls were in double digits for the game; Liad, Court Roantree, Kate Dessart Mager, and Viani posted 13, 12, 11, and 10 points respectively. Adamschick also threw down eight points, giving her a total of 32 points and 20 rebounds for the tournament, earning her MVP honors. Suez and Mager also earned All-Tournament honors.

This effort by the girls really showed their understanding of individual roles on the team. The team strength of outside shooting was reinforced by Roantree draining four “tres”, compiling most of the girls nine three-pointers. Adamschick, Suez, and Siobhan O’Connor grabbed most of the rebounds for the game, and the seniors continued to lead the team with the majority of shots coming from the upperclassmen.

Perretta seems to have gotten his team aligned with his plan: reinforcing the natural strengths of the girls, playing smart defensive ball, and utilizing his bench players. ‘Nova earned big wins already this season against Penn State and Miss., and squares off against George Washington at home this Thursday. Villanova is in a good position now to make their run at a ranking, earning 48 votes this week. Historically this kind of start for the girls has lead to a great season, and with Perretta here for most of them, he looks ready to repeat it.