After winning three straight games at home, the ‘Cats fall to 11th-ranked DePaul on the road, losing 85-69. 

DePaul has proven to be a strong team this season, with an overall record of 18-2, leading the Big East with an 8-0 record in conference play. Sophomore guard, Sonya Morris, led all scorers with 30 points and 5 three-pointers. Fellow sophomore, Lexi Held, added 21 points and 8 rebounds of her own, to help the Blue Demons power past the Wildcats. 

Despite having three players score in double figures, the Wildcats could not outscore the Blue Demons. Senior forward, Mary Gedaka led the Wildcats in scoring with 20 points, moving her up into 13th place on Villanova’s all-time scoring list, with 1,340 points. Redshirt freshman, Madison Siegrist was not far behind with 19, while senior, Bridget Herlihy, added 14 points and 7 rebounds. 

The Wildcats got off to a rough start, falling to an early deficit of 16-5 midway through the first quarter. They tried to cut into the lead with a 5-0 run, but the Blue Demons responded with a 10-2 run of their own, stretching the lead to 26-12 at the end of the first. 

Villanova headed into the locker room at halftime only down 9, after they outscored DePaul 22-17 in the second quarter. The ‘Cats struggled to carry this momentum out of halftime after the Blue Demons came out on a 15-7 run. 

The strong efforts by Siegrist and Herlihy in the third were not enough to hold off Morris and the rest of DePaul’s squad. The Blue Demons entered the fourth with their largest lead of the game,18, and the ‘Cats were unable to close the gap by more than 2 points, resulting in a 16 point loss. 

The Wildcats ended the night shooting 45.8% from the field, and 36.8% from three, but their 17 turnovers and -5 rebounding margin, sparked by DePaul’s strong defensive performance, proved to be the difference makers in Friday’s matchup. 

The Wildcats now hold an overall record of 11-8, 5-3 in conference play. The team will play on the road this Sunday, Jan. 26, at Marquette. Tip-off is set for 3:30 p.m.