Villanova (2-1) came out with a narrow defeat of Columbia (3-1) on Saturday, Nov. 16.

The Wildcats held the lead for most of the game, but the Lions rallied back at the end of the fourth quarter with a pair of 6-0 runs. Columbia ended up tying the game with just seconds to go, but ultimately missed both foul shots for a final score of 68-67.

Head coach Denise Dillon thanked the fans at the Finn for the extra push in the final moments. 

“The crowd was amazing, I credit them for the energy,” Dillon said.

The Wildcats came out strong on the defensive end, forcing two turnovers from the Lions in their first two possessions of the game. Villanova used that momentum to draw a few quick buckets to put them up for the first few minutes of the quarter. 

The ‘Cats gave up their lead toward the middle of the first period due to several turnovers in a span of just a couple minutes. The quarter ended on a high note with a three from graduate guard Maddie Burke and a Columbia turnover. 

Burke continued her hot streak in the second quarter, lighting up the Lion’s defense from beyond the arc with four three-pointers in a row. Burke carried the offensive end for much of the second quarter, racking up a total of 17 points for her career-high as a Wildcat. 

“For a coach to be a part of that, I know [Burke] has it and I think her teammates do as well, and they’re feeding her that confidence if it’s wayward for her, but for her to feel it today, we’re gonna look to carry that throughout her final season,” Dillon said.

Despite a strong showing on the offense, where the ‘Cats doubled their points scored in the first quarter, they struggled with their defense in the post for much of the second quarter. Columbia found most of its scoring opportunities right underneath the basket. 

Villanova finished the half in the lead, 45-38.

Freshman point guard Jasmine Bascoe showcased her scoring abilities throughout much of the third quarter. She wove through the defense and helped keep the momentum, giving Villanova its largest lead of the game with a fast break layup to go up by 13 points.

“[Bascoe] has the mind, the IQ, the will,” Dillon said.

Despite the Columbia game being only Bascoe’s third college appearance, she played with considerable maturity. Bascoe accredited her performance to her past couple summers spent playing for the Canadian national team.

“The first thing that always comes to mind is just the intensity of [the Canadian national team], playing against grown women and they’ve got years on me, so it’s different than playing against people my age,” Bascoe said.

She ended the day with 15 points, six rebounds and five assists.

The ‘Cats continued to maintain their lead through the rest of the third quarter, and had a few big defensive stops in order to keep the Lions at bay. 

Junior forward Denae Carter was able to grab a few baskets underneath along with a block on defense, displaying her solid adjustment to post play so far, especially after a year off due to an ACL injury. She would end up finishing with 11 points and six rebounds. Carter’s most notable contribution was her winning foul shot in the final seconds of the game. 

“It’s great, [Carter is] another player you want to see rewarded for her decision to be here and fighting back from another ACL injury, that’s a grueling rehab,” said Dillon. 

Villanova ended the quarter with the lead over Columbia, 61-53.

In the fourth quarter, Villanova’s play appeared to transition from confident to more frazzled, with an abundance of jump balls and defensive fouls. Columbia capitalized on Villanova’s errors, and fought back with a strong push on the defensive end through a scrappy full-court press and collapsing on Bascoe. 

The ‘Cats continued to play panicked, which led to a five-and-a-half minute scoring drought, and Columbia tying the game with just 12 seconds remaining. A foul from Columbia’s Nasi Simmons put Carter on the line, who made one of two free throws to put the ‘Cats up 67-68. 

Columbia was fouled in the remaining second of the game, and Riley Weiss was put on the line with the opportunity to tie or win. Weiss ultimately missed both, leading to a Carter defensive rebound and a Wildcats win. 

“When you have the opportunity to learn from a win, that’s a great experience,” Dillon said.

Villanova finished with a season-best 51.9% from the field, getting 27 of 52 shots. The Wildcats shot 35.3% from behind the arc and 72.7% from the foul line. 

Next up, Villanova will face Penn on Wednesday, Nov. 20 at the Finneran Pavilion. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.