After a week off from conference play, Villanova defeated Marquette, 65-53, on Sunday, Feb. 2, in an energized and packed Finneran Pavilion. The win ties Villanova (12-10, 6-4 Big East) for fourth in the Big East rankings.
“It’s a big win for sure,” head coach Denise Dillon said. “We talked about it all week. I think we’ve talked about it since playing at Marquette and how we were disappointed in ourselves there. We were really looking forward to getting them here on our home court and we did what we needed to do to get a much-needed win.”
The Wildcats were able to hold on at home and redeem their 64-59 loss against the Golden Eagles from earlier this season.
“Today, we had that pride and sense of togetherness,” graduate guard Bronagh Power-Cassidy said. “To know we’ve grown from that, we’ve learned from that, and today we made sure it was a different outcome.”
After missing the previous meeting with Marquette this season, freshman guard Jasmine Bascoe proved to be the missing piece Villanova needed. Bascoe led all scoring with 17 points and chipped in with six assists.

Junior forward Denae Carter had 15 points and a team-high six rebounds.
Like most games this year, the Wildcats struggled find their rhythm in the opening minutes of the game. Marquette’s sophomore duo of forward Skylar Forbes and guard Halle Vice were demolishing Villanova in the paint for most of the first quarter.
Eventually, the tone began to switch due to Power-Cassidy’s three-point efforts. Within the last seconds of the first quarter, after freshman guard Dani Ceseretti drained a shot from behind the arc, followed by an offensive foul on Marquette, the lead and the momentum were in the Wildcats’ favor going into the second quarter.
“I felt like we were having fun out there,” Power-Cassidy said. “When [Ceseretti] hit her three it was really exciting. It just felt like we were getting good movement, especially since in the first we were slower to reverse the ball and it was kind of stilted. So that switch up in the second quarter I think gave us momentum on both ends of the floor.”
The Wildcat energy continued to increase as they began to figure out how to stop the Golden Eagles in the paint with Carter’s rebounds denying second chances.
On the perimeter, Marquette struggled with Villanova’s quick hands, committing 11 turnovers in the first half, with multiple Wildcats picking-up steals. Paired with hot shooters on offense, Villanova went into the locker room with a 38-26 lead.
“Denae Carter definitely played one of her best defensive games,” Dillon said. “She played aggressively, she was where she needed to be, and she didn’t foul. She forced them to make plays. So just setting that tone.”
At the half, Villanova was 40.6% for field goals and 46.2% for threes while picking up eleven points off Marquette turnovers. On the other side, the Golden Eagles went 40.0% for field goals, but were dormant from behind the arc, going 0-3.
“Our threes were falling,” Dillon said. “[Power-Cassidy] was hot, early and often, so that was great as well as holding them without any threes.”
Power-Cassidy finished the game with 14 points, shooting 4-5 on three-pointers.
Marquette was able to quickly adjust after halftime and bring itself back within single digits. The Wildcats slowly started to break down on offense and defense, committing turnovers and missing easy buckets in the paint. Villanova was unable to replicate its first-half efficiency.
“I think it’s a game of runs,” Power-Cassidy said. “As a team, we don’t want to take any movement for granted, no matter how we’re playing. It’s always the next two minutes and how we can lock and be that bit better.”
Bascoe was able to guide her team out of the rut on offense through key assists to Carter and clutch baskets to keep Villanova composed. The duo’s efforts paired well with defensive efforts from senior guard Orihel and junior guard Ryanne Allen allowed the Wildcats to have a comfortable finish.
“As a team, something we constantly want to improve upon is our consistency,” Power-Cassidy said. “But I think energy is one thing that’s non-negotiable, no matter who’s scoring at whatever time. We have to communicate with each other. And [Bascoe] has that even as a freshman, she wants to lead, she wants to talk.”
Villanova finished the game shooting 44.8% from the field, while Marquette ended with a season-worst 0-9 from deep. It marks the Golden Eagles first game since Feb. 7, 2024, without a three.
Villanova will try to keep its winning streak alive on the road against Butler (12-12, 2-9 Big East) on Feb. 5 (7 p.m., FloSports).