The women’s basketball team close out Christmas break with two big wins on the road.

The Wildcats notched victories over Marquette and an upset win over No. 24 DePaul to top it off.

On Friday night, the Wildcats took on the Golden Eagles and used a balanced scoring effort to lead the way to victory. Five different Wildcats scored at least ten points in the 82-75 win over Marquette. The three-point line was kind to them, as they sank a season-high 16 baskets from long range.

They one-upped themselves on Sunday, toppling the Blue Demons on their home court. Villanova handed DePaul its first conference loss of the season, winning 64-60. The Wildcats saw a strong performance from senior guard Caroline Coyer, who scored 18 of her 25 points in the second half alone. She was crucial in maintaining the narrow lead throughout the fourth quarter and eventually closing it out at the end.

Her dominant play was not restricted to that one game. She leads the team with 14.9 points per game and 5.0 assists per game so far this season. While she led the team in scoring in only one other game over break, scoring 21 in the win at Butler, she continues to excel at getting the ball to her teammates even when she wasn’t the top scorer. Coyer had team highs in assists in every game over break except for one.

The Wildcats also saw solid play from sophomore center Megan Quinn and freshman guard Adrianna Hahn.

Aside from the DePaul game, Quinn provided an imposing presence inside. The 6-foot-2 sophomore was also able to stretch the floor by knocking down some shots from long range. She was a key asset as she proved her ability to score and dominate the glass.

Quinn averaged 10.7 points and 8.7 boards over the seven-game span. She posted three straight double-double performances. In the game against Creighton, Quinn scored a career-high 25 points in the loss.

As for Hahn, the freshman guard continues to be a key contributor off the bench. So far this season, she has proven to be a reliable contributor.

Hahn provided a couple of 20-point performances over break, in the two games against Xavier and Marquette.

With most students flocking home for break, the Wildcats stuck around to continue the grind of basketball season.

The Wildcats earned back-to-back wins over Big Five rival La Salle and Butler.

They tried to make it three games in a row, but the streak was halted.

Just like the men’s team, they spent New Year’s Eve with clashing with the Xavier Musketeers on the basketball court.

Unfortunately, Xavier got the best of them at the Cintas Center. Villanova came back to take the lead, but Xavier was able to score a basket to force overtime. The Wildcats went cold, as the Musketeers went on to beat Villanova 74-67.

The Wildcats bounced back with a one-sided win over the Providence Friars. In Villanova’s first home game at the Pavilion in over a month, the Wildcats put together a 67-39 win in front of their fans. Megan Quinn led the way with a 16 point, 13 rebound performance.

Two days later, Villanova found itself struggling against Creighton at home. The Wildcats launched another fourth quarter comeback but fell short. The Bluejays were able to hold them off at the end to win 65-62. 

The loss set up for the bounce back response that the Wildcats exhibited this weekend on the road.

Villanova finishes the three-week stretch with a 5-2 record. The Wildcats are now 10-6 overall and 4-2 in Big East play.

Moving forward, the Wildcats will return to the Pavilion for a four-game home stand. Villanova resumes conference play this upcoming weekend with games against Seton Hall and St. John’s.

Seton Hall will come in after suffering back-to-back losses. The Pirates were formerly ranked at No. 25 before being knocked off by DePaul. They also lost two St. John’s by two.

Aside from beating the Pirates, the Red Storm won another close game. They beat the Marquette Golden Eagles 81-77 in overtime.