No. 23 Villanova lost its first game of the 2022-23 season on Saturday evening, falling to No. 21 Baylor, 75-70 at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla. 

Senior forward Maddy Siegrist led the team with 22 points, eight rebounds and four steals, but was 0-6 from beyond the arc. Sophomore guard Lucy Olsen contributed 18 points and five rebounds, while sophomore forward Christina Dalce led the team in boards with 12. Graduate forward Caitlin Bickle led the Bears to the victory with a double-double, posting 18 points and 12 rebounds. 

The game came down to the wire, with an Olsen jumper tying the contest with two minutes to play in the fourth. However, neither team would score from the field in those remaining two minutes. The Bears’ last five points all came from the charity stripe, and the Wildcats shot 0-8 from the field to finish the game. 

Fouls were an issue for the ‘Cats throughout the game, as they sent the Bears to the line 32 times, 24 of which came in the first half. The ‘Cats dealt with foul trouble all game long, with four players, including Olsen, having three fouls at the halftime break. However, despite a tight whistle, only one ‘Cat fouled out. Junior guard Bella Runyan tacked on her fifth with 3:06 to play in the fourth. The Bears committed 23 fouls, which, combined with the ‘Cats 30, adds up to a game total of 53 fouls in 40 minutes.

The game was tightly contested throughout, with both team’s largest lead being eight points. For the ‘Cats, that lead came early in the second quarter. The Bears saw their largest advantage just after the halfway point in the third. 

The first half ended 46-42 in favor of the Bears, but both teams went cold from the field in the second half. Both the Bears and the ‘Cats scored under 30 points in the last two frames. 

Villanova will play USF in the showcase’s third-place game on Sunday at 5 P.M. The ‘Cats then return home to the Finneran Pavilion to open Big East play against the No. 16 Creighton Bluejays on Friday, Dec. 2 at 7 P.M.