On National Girls and Women in Sports Day, Villanova (13-10, 7-4 Big East) took to the road and defeated Butler (12-13, 2-10 Big East), 63-59, on Wednesday, Feb. 5, in the Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Sophomore guard Maddie Webber put on one of her best Big East play performances, scoring a team-high 19 points on 50% shooting from the field. In her second season, Webber is averaging 12.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.
In the frontcourt, senior forward Denae Carter contributed 10 points and tied a team-high in rebounds with six.
Villanova started the game on an 8-0 run led by Bronagh Power Cassidy’s three-pointer. Power Cassidy has been in a rhythm from behind the arc recently. She finished the game 2-2 from three and over the two games she is 6-7 on three-pointers.
Despite the solid start, Villanova quickly was on the receiving end of a run. Butler closed out the first quarter on a 13-0 run and tied Villanova, 17-17.
For the Bulldogs, McGuff’s 19-point, 15-rebound double-double led the team in both points and rebounds. It marked her third double-double of the season.
Come halftime, Freshman guard Jasmine Bascoe led the Wildcats with 10 points on 4-6 from the field, despite the Wildcats trailing 35-33.
Bascoe has proved herself to be one of the top freshmen in the Big East. She collected 16 points, six rebounds and five assists. Bascoe’s average of 15.7 points per game is the eighth-best in the Big East.
Villanova and Butler were in a back-and-forth battle for much of the second half. The game saw 10 lead changes and 11 ties.
The Wildcats again went on another 8-0 scoring run, this time to close out the third quarter. The run allowed Villanova to tie Butler, 45-45, with 10 minutes left in regulation.
A huge part of the Wildcats’ success in the second half was Webber. In the second half, Webber picked up 15 of her 19 points. With 4:29 left to play, Villanova went on a 10-0 to take the lead. Webber accounted for eight of the run’s 10 points.
This marks Villanova’s third consecutive win. It is the team’s longest win streak since Nov. 23.
The Wildcats will now return home to the Finneran Pavilion on Saturday, Feb. 8, for a 2 p.m. tipoff against Creighton (19-4, 11-1 Big East). It is the first time the Wildcats will face off against the Bluejays this season.
