Villanova women’s basketball earned their second win in a row on Wednesday afternoon with a 63-58 overtime victory on the road over Providence.  

The ‘Cats started off slow, missing their first five shot attempts, not scoring their first basket until four minutes into the game. Both teams continued to face scoring struggles in the first quarter, with Providence leading only 13-12 entering the second. 

Villanova showed a strong team effort in the second quarter, with baskets coming from five different Wildcats, including sophomore Brooke Mullin, who recorded 9 points and 2 rebounds. 

Through strong defense, rebounding, and a balanced offense, Villanova was able to build a lead, going into halftime ahead by six points. 

Providence came strong in the second half with tighter defense, forcing seven Villanova turnovers in the third quarter, and holding the ‘Cats to only eight points. The Friars outscored Villanova 19-8 in the third quarter, taking a five point lead entering the final quarter. 

The Friars did not let up in the fourth quarter, stretching the lead to nine with 6:15 remaining, but the ‘Cats were not done yet. Led by redshirt sophomore Maddy Siegrist, Villanova went on a 18-9 run at the end of regulation. Siegrist scored 11 of her 24 points in the fourth quarter, including a three-pointer to tie the game at 55-55 with 6 seconds left. 

Providence had possession, but Villanova forced a turnover, giving them a chance to score with 5.6 seconds remaining. Freshman Bella Runyan missed a three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. 

Siegrist and the other Wildcats carried their momentum into overtime, holding

Providence to just three points. Siegrist scored five more points for the ‘Cats in OT, including two free-throws to clinch the victory with two seconds left. Villanova won by five with a final score of 63-58. 

Siegrist finished with 24 points and seven rebounds making this her 12th 20-point game of the season. Siegrist scored 16 of those 24 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. Siegrist was also named Big East player of the week this week, her fifth time earning the award this season. 

Senior Brianna Herlihy added seven points, three blocks, two assists and a team high 12 rebounds for the Wildcats. 

Freshman Bella Runyan had a stand out performance on the day, recording a full stat line of 11 points, five rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and one steal. Runyan’s 11 points included a three-point jumper with 28 seconds left to cut the Friar lead to two points. 

With this victory, the Wildcats improve to 14-4 overall, 9-4 in conference play. The Friars fall to 6-12 overall and 4-9 in conference play.  

Villanova’s next game is scheduled for Sat. Feb 27 when they host Seton Hall. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m.