With more than a month to go in the regular season, Villanova is scheduled to have its last three home games at the Finneran Pavilion.
The ‘Cats have an overall record of 12-10 and are 6-4 in the Big East. Villanova is coming off a statement win, 65-53, over Marquette on Sunday, Feb. 2. The Wildcats split the season series against the Golden Eagles after losing the previous meeting, 64-59, on Jan. 11.
Graduate guard Bronagh Power-Cassidy shot 4-of-5 from three to aid the win. Postgame, Power-Cassidy noted the “pride and sense of togetherness” that the Wildcats have grown during Big East play.
The Bluejays are currently in second place in the Big East, with a conference record of 9-1. Villanova will take on Creighton at the Finn on Saturday, Feb. 8.
Last season, Creighton’s leading scorer was senior guard Lauren Jensen, with 558 points. This season, Jensen has been averaging four assists and 17.5 points per game. In her last matchup, Jensen managed to put up 20 points against the ‘Cats.
For the 2024-2025, season senior guard Morgan Maly has also been averaging 17.5 points per game. With a total of 368 points last season, 18 of which were against ‘Nova. Jensen accomplished eight rebounds in their previous meeting to ultimately defeat the Wildcats on Feb. 24, 2024 in Omaha.
Villanova last fell to Creighton, 69-79, on Feb. 24, 2024. The Wildcats are currently on a two-game losing streak in their matchup history against the Bluejays. Villanova has a 10-13 record all time against the usually highly-ranked Creighton team since 2013.
Freshman guard Jasmine Bascoe has been the reigning highest scorer for Villanova for most of the season. Bascoe averages 15.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and four assists per game. She leads the Wildcats by a long margin in total assists, with 90 this season.
Sophomore guard Maddie Webber scored 10 points and two rebounds against the Bluejays last year. This season, Webber has been averaging 12.5 points and 3.3 rebounds.
On the defensive end, junior forward Denae Carter is Villanova’s top rebounder, averaging 6.2 per game. She also leads the team in blocks, totaling 22 so far this season. Notably, Carter had a clean defensive performance against Marquette that Dillon called “one of her best,” recording six rebounds and no fouls.
Junior guard Ryanne Allen started receiving more playing time in December as she has recovered from a knee injury that sidelined her at the beginning of the season. Since then, she has averaged 4.3 points per game. Allen has recently been making a name for herself after achieving a season-high of 10 points on Jan. 25 against Xavier.
The Wildcats are looking forward to the final regular season games in the coming weeks.
At the Pavilion, Villanova will take on Creighton on Saturday at 2 p.m. on FloSports. The Wildcats expect to host a significant audience at the Finn, as the game coincides with National Girls and Women in Sports Day and will include a celebration.
