On Wednesday night, Villanova traveled to Washington D.C. where it defeated Georgetown (8-7, 1-3 Big East) in a dominant 77-62 win. With this victory, the Wildcats are now 8-8 overall and 2-2 in conference.
Villanova started off the first quarter strong, with graduate guard Maddie Burke hitting two threes, which helped to give the Wildcats a 25-10 lead heading into the second quarter.
Villanova sophomore guard Maddie Webber led the charge, scoring 19 points, and making eight of 14 field goals. Webber’s ability to attack the rim and knock down threes was critical in the win.
Junior forward Denae Carter had an all-around outstanding effort. Carter scored 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting, demonstrating her dominance in the paint. She also anchored the Wildcats’ interior defense with seven rebounds, including six defensive rebounds.
Jaliyah Green, a senior guard, also had a strong performance, scoring 13 points and five rebounds. Green played a key role in dismantling Georgetown’s defense with her court vision and playmaking skills. Burke shot 4-6 from the field and 3-5 from the three-point line, collecting 11 points for the team.
Heading into halftime, the Wildcats had shot 61.54% from the field compared to the Hoyas 30.77%. Villanova’s ability to share the ball and locate the open shot throughout the game left Georgetown’s defense reeling and allowed the Wildcats to head into the locker room up 42-20.
In the third quarter’s opening, Georgetown came in with more aggression. The Hoyas’ leading scorer, senior guard Kelsey Ransom, scored 35 points and helped keep her team in the game with some hustle plays.
The Wildcats were able to add 29 points in the third quarter for a 71- 49 lead into the final ten minutes.
Come the fourth quarter, the Hoyas put up a couple of points to cut the lead down to 12, but Villanova closed out the game with four straight points and a layup from Carter to seal the win.
The Wildcats ended the night shooting 55.4% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. Villanova also out-rebounded Georgetown 39-28, and its ball movement led to 14 assists.
Looking ahead, the Wildcats will now be on the road as they head out to Milwaukee, WI to face Marquette (10-5, 2-2 Big East) on Saturday, Jan. 11. Tipoff is set for 3 pm EST (FloSports).
