In a rematch of last year’s Big 5 Classic championship, Villanova (4-2) defeated Temple (3-3) in a 30-point blowout, 88-58.
The Wildcats last fell short to the Owls in the inaugural Big 5 Women’s Classic’s championship game at the Finneran Pavilion, 76-62, on Dec. 7, 2024.
Senior guard Ryanne Allen led the team with a career-high 19 points, shooting 7-for-8 from the field along with six assists. Graduate forward Denae Carter added 17 points and five steals. Junior guard Brynn McCurry led the team in rebounds, with eight.
It was all Jasmine Bascoe in the first quarter, as the sophomore guard scored eight of Villanova’s 13 points. In the final seconds of the quarter, Bascoe intercepted a Temple pass for a fast break layup.
Villanova began to run away with the game in the second quarter, going on several major scoring runs, including a 21-5 run to finish the last six minutes of the half. The Wildcats outscored the Owls by 20 points in the second quarter, giving them a safe 44-24 lead at halftime.
Allen led the way in the second quarter with three three-pointers, along with three assists. She had a team-high 12 points and four threes going into the half, including a buzzer-beater three to put the Wildcats up by 20.
“Ryanne [Allen] came in there and was a great spark off the bench, knocking down some threes,” head coach Denise Dillon said. “It becomes contagious. When some of those shots fall, others want to get a look. And we were looking for everybody.”
Villanova’s defense stood out in the first two quarters, holding the Owls to 39% from the field and just 17% from three-point range. Carter was everywhere on the court, securing four steals and a block, proving to be a defensive anchor for the Wildcats.
The third quarter was more of the same for the ‘Cats, going up 63-42. Allen added another three-pointer and two more assists in the quarter. Carter also continued her defensive dominance, collecting another steal in the third.
The Wildcats headed into the fourth with a 21-point lead. Five players — Allen, Carter, McCurry, Bascoe and freshman forward Brooke Bender — had double digits in scoring by the end of the fourth quarter.
Allen connected on 5-of-6 three-point shots on the night. She also worked to get her teammates involved, dishing out a career-high six assists.
“It means a lot,” said Allen. “Once [Temple] takes me away, I know I have the ability to get my teammates open. It was cool to get other people involved and see them knock down shots and see their confidence grow.”
Villanova marked its highest-scoring game of the season during the fourth quarter, which included the first career points for senior forward Annie Welde on a smooth three-point jumper.
The blowout win also served as a revenge game after losing to Temple last season in the Big 5 Classic championship. The statement win has set the tone for the Wildcats heading into the 2025 Big 5 Classic, which they will host on Dec. 7.
“That was a tough loss last year,” Allen said. “This week in practice, we were reminding the people that weren’t here about that loss, and how we wanted to get that back. So that was a huge impetus for us, especially losing on our home floor. We didn’t want it to happen again, so it was nice to get that win back for us.”
The Wildcats will return Tuesday night in another Big 5 matchup on the road against La Salle University. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m.
