Villanova women’s basketball opened Big East play on Thursday night with a 76-69 win over Georgetown University at McDonough Arena John Thompson Jr. Court in Washington D.C.
Following Monday’s upset of No. 25 West Virginia, Villanova (7-2, 1-0 Big East) extended its win streak to five games. The Wildcats continued their early success on the road, staying undefeated (4-0).
The player of the night for the ‘Cats was sophomore guard Jasmine Bascoe, who scored a season-high 26 points. She also added a team-high four assists and two boards to her hefty stat line against the Hoyas.
Junior forward Brynn McCurry also made an impact for Villanova, scoring 20 points and logging a team-high seven rebounds.
On Georgetown’s side, graduate guard Laila Jewett led the way, scoring 12 points while also grabbing a team-high five rebounds.
The Hoyas took an early 5-0 lead in the first quarter. Bascoe got the Wildcats started for the night, taking the ball in the paint off a spin move, and playing off two feet to get the backdoor assist to McCurry.
After trailing for the first 6:43 of the game, the Wildcats started to find their rhythm at the end of the first quarter. Senior forward Denae Carter scored off a reverse layup on the baseline. Bascoe followed it up by a quick floater on the following possession.
Bascoe picked up two steals in the first quarter to help Villanova hold the lead, 14-11, after one.
In the second quarter, Villanova’s guards were able to speed up Georgetown’s offense, scoring 16 of their 30 first-half points off turnovers. A crucial block came from junior guard Kelsey Joens to keep Villanova ahead. Joens then nailed a three-ball from the wing to put the Wildcats up, 19-15, early in the second quarter.
Villanova shared the ball over the first two quarters, with 11 assists at half. Meanwhile, the Hoyas only had one assist. Villanova held the edge on Georgetown, 32-25, at the halfway point.
The start of the third quarter was a clinic from Bascoe, who showcased her offensive repertoire and dropped 13 points in that quarter alone. Bascoe again found McCurry on a backdoor cut off a one-handed bounce pass to open the second half.
On the next possession, Bascoe used her change of pace to her advantage with a quick layup. After starting her night shooting 1-5 from the long range, Bascoe sank her first three-point attempt of the second half on a step-back jumper.
With 6:31 left in the third, Georgetown head coach Darnell Haney called a timeout after the Hoyas gave up seven unanswered points. Villanova held one of its biggest leads of the night, 43-29.
At the end of the third quarter, the Hoyas found some success as sophomore guard Indya Davis scored in the paint on a contested layup. She shortened the ‘Cats lead to 54-44 heading into the fourth.
McCurry got comfortable in the fourth quarter, scoring 12 of her 20 points on the night in the final 10 minutes. However, the Wildcats conceded turnovers late in the game that allowed the Hoyas to battle to within six.
But Villanova hung onto its lead as Georgetown committed three fouls in the final 20 seconds, all against McCurry, who went 5-for-6 from the free throw line.
Villanova will next face local rival Saint Joseph’s University (6-2) in the Big 5 Classic championship game. The Wildcats will host the annual triple-header among six Philadelphia teams at the Finneran Pavilion on Sunday, Dec. 7. Tip-off against the Hawks is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
