On Saturday, Jan. 25, Villanova hosted Xavier at home for its first matchup of the regular season, coming out with a 67-52 win.
The Musketeers (6-14, 1-8 Big East) are currently ranked last in the Big East conference, while Villanova (11-10, 5-4) stands sixth.
Villanova also celebrated Alumni Day, bringing more than 30 former Villanova women’s basketball players who were honored at halftime. Bella Runyan ‘24 was one player to return to the Finneran Pavilion for her first Alumni Day experience.
“It’s been really cool, especially because a lot of my former teammates are still on the team and we were so close, so we still talk all the time,” Runyan said. “So being able to come back and watch them play is such a nice feeling. It’s like a sisterhood.”
The celebration brought together generations of Villanova players. Marie Maguire ‘69, a founding member of Villanova women’s basketball, also came out to support the Wildcats.
“I just love coming back here,” Maguire said. “It’s just unbelievable how [the program] has grown. I’m so lucky to have been able to start the team here and to be the first captain.”
In front of the alumni and Finn crowd, freshman guard Jasmine Bascoe led the way with 25 points, seven assists, and four steals. Three Wildcats scored in double-digits, including sophomore guard Maddie Webber with 15, and junior guard Ryanne Allen with 10 points.
The game started out uncharacteristically slow for the Wildcats, totaling four points in the entire first quarter. Things were looking bleak, as Villanova only shot 2-17 from the field. The period ended with Xavier up, 13-4.
“I just felt it was a real slow, sluggish start,” Villanova head coach Denise Dillon said.

The Wildcats made adjustments and started their second quarter out strong, grabbing a big steal that led to a Bascoe three-point basket. Villanova then went on a 12-0 run, with 10 points coming from Bascoe, to force a Xavier timeout.
With six and a half minutes to go in the second quarter, the Wildcats gained a 16-13 lead. Xavier continued to fight back with quick lay-ins underneath and a few steals.
The ‘Cats kept the momentum up and finished the half up 27-24.
The third was Villanova’s highest-scoring quarter of the game, with 29 points, including a 12-2 run midway through the period. The Wildcats shot went 7-8 from the field and 37.5% from beyond the arc. Bascoe continued to dominate on the offensive end, putting up both layups and three-point baskets.
Come the end of the third quarter Villanova established a solid lead, ahead 56-38.
The Wildcats didn’t let up in the fourth quarter, despite allowing a few steals and fast breaks from the Musketeers. Although they were outscored in the fourth, 14-11, the Wildcats finished out the matchup strong.
Senior guard Kaitlyn Orihel was out with an injury, along with graduate Lara Edmanson against Xavier. Both are expected to return against Marquette next Sunday, according to Dillon.
Freshman guard Dani Ceseretti stepped up in their place, playing 26 minutes off the bench. Despite not scoring, Ceseretti contributed four steals and three rebounds.
“[Ceseretti] was that spark that we’ve been looking for,” Dillon said. “She can do a lot of things on the floor, but I was happy that her focus today was on the defensive end and got some steals. That was key for us.”
Junior forward Denae Carter came just one point away from a double-double, racking up nine points and 13 rebounds.
“[The scoring distribution] just alleviates a lot, when we rely on Maddie [Webber] and Jasmine [Bascoe] to carry the load,” Dillon said.
Villanova will be looking to continue its momentum into next Sunday as the Wildcats will face Marquette at home. The Golden Eagles (13-6, 5-3 Big East) currently sit fifth in the conference.The teams will face off on Sunday, Feb. 2 (2 p.m., FloSports).