On Wednesday, Feb. 11, Villanova women’s basketball dominated Xavier University, 78-38, on the road in Cincinnati, OH.
The 40-point victory over Xavier (11-14, 4-12 Big East) is the Wildcats’ (20-5, 13-3 Big East) largest margin of victory this season and more than doubles that of the previous margin of victory against the Musketeers this season, when the ‘Cats won, 67-50, on Jan. 8.
Sophomore guard Jasmine Bascoe led the Wildcats in points, scoring 18. During the second half, Bascoe tallied her 1,000th career point with the Wildcats, making her the 32nd player in program history to do so.
Two other Wildcats scored double-digit points. Junior forward Brynn McCurry scored 15 points, followed by senior guard Ryanne Allen with 11.
Freshman guard Kennedy Henry totaled 9 steals, tying the program record for steals made in a single game. The other record holder, Shelly Pennefather (’95), had 9 steals in a game for the Wildcats on Jan. 21, 1987, while playing against Cheyney University.
Sophomore guard Meri Kanerva led the Musketeer offense, adding 13 points.
Villanova went 33-for-72 (46%) on field goals, 11-for-33 (33%) on three-pointers and 1-for-4 (25%) at the free throw line. In comparison, Xavier went 13-for-47 (28%) on field goals, 7-for-27 (26%) and 5-for-6 at the free throw line.
The ‘Cats forced 22 turnovers and outrebounded Xavier, 48-27. Graduate forward Kylee Watson grabbed the game-high against the glass, totaling 9 rebounds.
Following tip-off, Bascoe opened the game’s score sheet, scoring the ‘Cats’ first 8 points. The Wildcats did not surrender the lead for the entire game.
The Wildcats maintained early control, leading 15-8, by the end of the first quarter.
The Wildcats cruised through the second quarter, entering halftime leading, 34-14.
During the second half, the ‘Cats stretched their lead to a game-high 42 points.
On Sunday, Feb. 15, Villanova will continue its stretch of away games and travel to Omaha, NE, to face Creighton University (12-12, 8-7). The last time the two teams met up on New Year’s Day, the Wildcats defeated Creighton, 74-64. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. and will be broadcast on TruTV.
