The ‘Cats were up 43-16 at halftime. 

The game could have been called there. 

No. 15 Villanova (21-4, 12-2) used this comfortable halftime advantage to rout Georgetown, 82-53, Wednesday night at McDonough Arena. 

After earning its highest ranking in the AP Poll since it was ranked No. 11 in the final 2003 AP Poll, ‘Nova quickly dispatched the Hoyas. 

The Hoyas (12-12, 5-10) led halfway through the first quarter, 5-3, but their lead did not last long. The Wildcats finished the first quarter on a 21-2 run to take a commanding 24-7 lead. 

While six different Wildcats chipped in on the 21-2 run, the standouts were sophomore guard Kaitlyn Orihel and senior forward Maddy Siegrist. 

Villanova fans are used to having Siegrist producing her share, one of the reasons she is in the National Player of the Year award conversation, but Orihel’s contributions were a pleasant surprise. 

Orihel put in a career-high 20 points on an almost perfect 8-of-9 shooting, including an electrifying 4-of-5 from three. The four three pointers she drained tied a career-high. 

Orihel was the catalyst in another Villanova spurt in the first half. Already up, 32-13, with 5:27 left before halftime, Orihel hit another three and two layups to spark an 11-2 run and take a 43-15 lead. 

Orihel and Siegrist both scored 13 points in the first half. As a team in the first half, Villanova shot 15-for-37 from the field (40.5%) and a blazing 6-of-13 from three (46.2%). 

The defense also showed up in the first half, yielding only 16 points. Georgetown only made 7 of its 35 shots (20%) and only one out of nine threes (11.1%). 

In the second half, ‘Nova would go up by as much as 31, cruising to a 29-point win. 

Siegrist continued her stellar season with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Sophomore guard Lucy Olsen added 10 points and seven assists. 

Georgetown’s leading scorer was graduate guard Kristina Moore with 12 points. Freshman guard Kennedy Fauntleroy helped with 11 points and eight rebounds. 

In total, Villanova impressed, shooting 31-of-67 from the field (46.3%) and 10-of-25 from three (40%).  

Georgetown shot a modest 21-of-66 (31.8%) and 3-of-15 from downtown (20%).  

The Wildcats are red hot, winning 12 of their last 13 games with their only loss on the road to No. 4 Connecticut, 63-58. With Connecticut’s loss at Marquette on Wednesday, the Wildcats control their destiny in the Big East, as they can clinch a share of the title by winning each of their remaining games. The Wildcats play the Huskies at home on February 18. 

Villanova plays Seton Hall (15-9, 8-6 Big East) on Saturday. The women will host the Pirates at 1 p.m. at the Finneran Pavilion.