On Tuesday, Jan. 27, the Villanova women’s basketball team will be back at home, where it will face off against Providence (10-11, 3-7 Big East) for the second time this season. Their last meeting came earlier this month on the road, which resulted in a dominant win for the ‘Cats, 85-55.
The game begins at 7:00 p.m. and will be available to stream on ESPN+.
Redshirt junior forward Brynn McCurry and star sophomore guard Jasmine Bascoe led the way for Villanova in the last meetings. McCurry scored 20 points on 9-for-11 shooting and added six rebounds and four assists. Bascoe added 19 points, hitting three shots from beyond the arc, while collecting seven assists.
Coming off a tough 71-58 loss on Saturday against St. John’s, Villanova is now 3-2 in its last five games and 15-5 on the season (8-3 Big East). The Wildcats are second in the Big East standings, while Providence is in eighth.
The last time the two faced off, Providence struggled on both ends of the floor, only shooting 36.3% from the field, as well as committing 23 turnovers.
On defense, Providence was only able to force eight Villanova turnovers, which caused defensive problems. Villanova’s 85 points were the third-most points the Friars gave up this season. The two larger totals came against South Carolina and the University of Connecticut, which are both ranked among the top three teams in the country.
Providence’s leading scorer is senior guard Sabou Gueye, who averages 14.2 points per game on 48.8% shooting.
Senior forward Teneisia Brown leads the team in rebounds. She averages 6.3 a game, while also adding 9.1 points.
The Friars are 1-4 in their last five games and 10-11 on the season. Their last game was on Jan. 20, where they were defeated by Seton Hall, 73-57. The Pirates are third in the Big East standings.
If Villanova wants a repeat of the matchup it had earlier this month against Providence, its two best players must perform as they have all season long. Bascoe continues to lead the ‘Cats in both scoring and assists this season, averaging 17.2 points per game and 4.7 assists. McCurry trails Bascoe in both categories, averaging 12.1 points and 3.5 assists a game, yet still leads the team in rebounds, averaging 5.6 per game.
As the Wildcats prepare for their final nine games of the season in hopes of going on a run come March, they must focus on what they have been doing best: forcing turnovers and capitalizing on them.
