‘Nova women’s basketball rebounded back from its loss to Georgetown with a 63-50 win over St. John’s on Feb. 4. The win was a key Big East Conference victory for the ‘Cats giving them a winning record of 5-4 in Conference play. The women are now 15-5 overall.

St. John’s grabbed the lead first, only to have the ‘Cats grab it back going into the half. Starting the second period of play with a three point lead, the ‘Cats pulled away quickly with an early 10-5 run to make the score 36-28. ‘Nova still had a 43-31 lead with 12 minutes remaining and kept the lead despite a rally by the Red Storm which narrowed the margin to just six. ‘Nova regained momentum and went on a 9-0 run. The ‘Cats secured the lead with their long distance game, finishing with 12 three-pointers compared to one by St. John’s. Wednesday’s game was the third straight game where the ‘Cats have had double-digit shots from beyond the arc.

Liad Suez, Kelly Nash and Jennifer Hilgenberg led the ‘Cats down the stretch. Suez hit six out of ten from the field and two-for-three from the arc; she finished with 15 points. Nash finished with 12 after hitting a game-high of four three-pointers. Hilgenberg ended the game with 11 points against the Red Storm. Courtney Mix grabbed the team high, nine rebounds, for the ‘Cats.

On Jan. 31, the Hoyas dominated the first minutes of the putting 18 points on the board in the first seven minutes of the game. Villanova stood strong and took a one point lead by halftime. The second half stayed close with neither team earning more than a three-point lead. With two minutes left on the clock, the ‘Cats tied the game at 48. Rebekkah Brunson, of Georgetown quickly came back with a two pointer which secured the win for the Hoyas. Sophomores Liad Suez and Jenna Viani led the ‘Cats in their weekend battle with 16 points each; a career high for Viani who also had six rebounds, three steals and two assists.

Suez finished with nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Despite the high rebounding digits from Seuz and Viani, the ‘Cats were out rebounded by the Hoyas 45-27. Normal leading scorer, Mix, played only 12 minutes against the Hoyas due to an injury.