In only their second game back after a COVID pause left them on a two-week break, the ‘Cats struggled to get back into gameplay. Villanova fell to Marquette at home on Wednesday night, losing 95-77. 

The Wildcats looked strong in their game earlier in the week, defeating St. John’s 81-78 in overtime, but tonight, the team did not play like they had been before being paused. 

Villanova started the game slowly. They could not develop a flow on the offensive end, and the Golden Eagles were taking advantage of the transition opportunities for quick offense. The ‘Cats trailed 27-14 at the end of the first quarter. 

Villanova was able to bounce back in the beginning of the second quarter behind a scoring burst from Sarah Mortensen, scoring 9 of her 13 points in the quarter. The Wildcats were able to cut the lead to 5 with 3:08 left in the half. Marquette was not phased by this run, and went on a 12-6 run of their own to end the half, extending the lead to 11 entering halftime. 

The second half was a similar story for the Wildcats. Led by Brianna Herlihy and Maddy Siegrist, the team made various attempts to cut into the lead, but they were unable to secure enough defensive stops to slow down the Golden Eagles. Marquette stretched the lead even more in the third, leading by 26 entering the final quarter. 

Villanova showed their best performance in the fourth, outscoring Marquette 23-15 in the quarter. While this did not help them in tonight’s game, it is momentum that they can carry with them into their next few games. 

Marquette senior guard Selena Lott led all scorers with 27 points, adding 5 rebounds and 11 assists. All five of Marquette’s starters scored in double digits and the team shot 53% from the field on the night, 59% from beyond the arc. 

Villanova was led by sophomore Maddy Siegrist and senior Brianna Herlihy who each scored 19 points and added 8 and 6 rebounds respectively. Senior Sarah Mortensen also added 13 points for the Wildcats. 

Villanova falls to 9-3 overall, 4-3 in conference play and remains #5 in the Big East. The ‘Cats will travel to Butler next Wednesday, Feb. 3. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.