Villanova unable to keep up with UConn in Big East semifinals
The Wildcats stuck close by the Huskies in the first half, but Villanova’s offense faded in a lopsided second half.
Villanova ended its Big East Tournament run with an 82-54 loss to No. 1 seed Connecticut on Sunday at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
The Wildcats (18-14 overall, 11-8 Big East) stuck with the Huskies (30-3, 19-0) in the first half. But Villanova’s offense faded in a lopsided second half, and they were outscored by UConn, 35-17.
“The offense was flowing for both teams going back and forth, so you knew those adjustments were going to be made at halftime,” Villanova coach Denise Dillon said. “Unfortunately, [UConn] turned it up another level, and we didn’t match it. Things didn’t go our way offensively.”
Redshirt senior guard Paige Bueckers led UConn with 23 points and six assists. Freshman forward Sarah Strong added 20 points and 16 rebounds for the Huskies.
For Villanova, sophomore guard Maddie Webber led the scoring with 15 points and three rebounds. Senior forward Denae Carter and junior guard Ryanne Allen added another 10 points each.
It was UConn’s third win over Villanova this season. The Huskies previously trounced the Wildcats, 83-52 and 100-57.
“I was pleased with the recognition of the new season once the conference tournament comes into play, and not getting caught up on those two previous games,” Dillon said.
‘Nova hangs on in the first half
After UConn started the game with a 16-8 lead over the opening six minutes, Villanova put together key stops to keep it close.
The Wildcats went on a 7-0 run in the first quarter, ending with a three-pointer from freshman guard Jasmine Bascoe that drew Villanova within one.
Webber, who scored 11 in the first quarter, added two baskets in the paint to end the first quarter with UConn ahead, 21-19.
Early in the second quarter, a putback from Bascoe briefly gave Villanova a 26-25 lead.
“I think in the first half we were just the more aggressive team, and we were driving, getting to our spots, hitting our shots as well,” Webber said. “Then we were also offensive rebounding a lot and just doing our thing. I think we just stopped a little bit in the second half.”
But the Wildcats soon fell behind as Bueckers heated up on offense, shooting 5-for-6 in the second quarter. Strong added a pair of free throws and capitalized on Villanova’s shot-clock violation, putting together a speedy 10-point advantage for UConn going into halftime.
“It felt more like a back-and-forth game,” Bueckers said. “We weren’t getting defensive stops, and I feel like I was just trying to take what the defense was giving me, be aggressive, get to my spot.”
Freshmen battle
Freshmen Strong and Bascoe put their full potential on display as the future of Big East basketball. Both were named to the all-conference first team announced last week, with Strong earning Big East Freshman of the Year.
Strong was a major force for the Huskies in her double-double performance. She led the Huskies through the second half, scoring 10 points and grabbing seven rebounds and two steals to lock down the win.
“[Strong] impacts the game in every single area, whether she’s defending somebody and it’s a steal, whether it’s a blocked shot, a defensive rebound, an offensive rebound,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “It’s more like having two or three players out there instead of just one.”
The Huskies bottled up Villanova’s leading scorer Bascoe, who finished the game with seven points on 3-for-10 shooting and three rebounds.
UConn domination
The Huskies opened the second half with a 12-0 run, and the Wildcats never fully recovered.
The UConn defense locked down the Wildcats for the remainder of the game, notching 11 points off seven Villanova turnovers in the second half.
One strong point for Villanova late in the game was keeping Bueckers away from the basket. She didn’t score in the second half apart from a pull-up jumper nearly two minutes into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the deficit still stretched to 30 points in a matter of 5 minutes and 43 seconds as UConn stayed in control.
What’s next?
UConn, the defending Big East champion, will be out for another title Monday at the Mohegan Sun Arena (7 p.m., FS1). The Huskies will face Creighton, which won the other semifinal over Seton Hall, 73-44.
Villanova is in position to miss March Madness for a second consecutive year. But the Wildcats are likely to get an invite to the 2025 Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament (WBIT).
Villanova was the No. 1 seed in last year’s inaugural WBIT, falling in the championship game to Illinois on April 3, 2024.