Villanova’s season ends with 66-57 loss to Belmont in WBIT semifinals
Sophomore guard Jailyn Banks scored 25 points to lead the Bruins to the championship game. Maddie Webber led Villanova with 18 points.
Villanova’s postseason run in the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament ended Monday afternoon with a 66-57 semifinal loss to Belmont at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Sophomore guard Maddie Webber led Villanova (21-15) with 18 points and added five rebounds. Freshman guard Jasmine Bascoe scored 10 points with a team-high five assists.
Belmont (26-12) reached the championship game behind 25 points from sophomore guard Jailyn Banks.
The Bruins will play Minnesota for the championship at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Wednesday at 6 p.m. (ESPNU).
High-intensity first half
Coming off a Thursday night victory over Portland, Villanova opened the game with a 20-17 lead through the first quarter.
Webber scored seven points in the first 10 minutes, while the Wildcats went 4-for-9 from three-point range.
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Villanova outrebounded Belmont, 21-19, in the first half. Junior forward Denae Carter led the Wildcats on the boards, finishing with eight rebounds.
Belmont wears down Villanova
Belmont picked up the offense in the second half, shooting 44.8% from the field and 42.9% from three. Meanwhile, Villanova was limited to just 29.7% shooting from the field in the second half.
Early in the third quarter, Bascoe sank Villanova’s only three-pointer of the half to put the Wildcats ahead, 34-31. A driving layup from Webber increased the lead to five.
But the Bruins reversed the lead by the end of the quarter. A basket by Banks increased Belmont’s advantage to seven, its largest lead of the game, as Villanova struggled through a nearly three-minute scoring drought to open the fourth quarter.
Belmont outscored the Wildcats, 37-26, in the second half. Banks sealed the win for the Bruins by adding a pair of free throws in the final 10 seconds. Villanova made just 6 of 29 shots (20.7%) from three-point range.
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Back to rebuilding
With the season at a close and five players graduating this spring, Villanova will focus its efforts on restocking the roster.
Monday marked the last collegiate game for graduate guards Maddie Burke and Bronagh Power-Cassidy, graduate forward Lara Edmanson, and senior guards Kaitlyn Orihel and Jaliyah Green.
Villanova signed three high school class of 2025 guards in November: Kennedy Henry and twin sisters Elise and Brooke Bender. Coach Denise Dillon will likely return to the transfer portal to complete the roster.