Maddy Siegrist closes in on Villanova scoring record with 76-38 rout of Xavier

Entering Tuesday’s matchup, Villanova was riding a seven-game winning streak, while Xavier had lost its last eight games. As many would expect, the No. 22 Wildcats dominated the Musketeers, coming away with a 76-38 victory to extend their win streak to eight.

Senior Maddy Siegrist paced Villanova (17-3, 8-1 Big East) with 27 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. This brings Siegrist’s career total to 2,391 points, leaving her just 18 away from breaking Shelly Pennefather’s all-time record of 2,408 points. With a season average of 28.9 points per game, it is likely that Siegrist will become Villanova’s all-time leading scorer in the next game against Creighton on Friday.

Sophomore Lucy Olsen joined Siegrist in double figures with 19 points to go along with five rebounds and four assists. Freshman forward Megan Olbrys finished with eight points on 3-of-3 shooting, while sophomore Christina Dalce chipped in seven points, four rebounds and two blocks.

Xavier was led by Fernanda Ovalle who finished with 12 points while Mackayla Scarlett chipped in eight.

The Wildcats established dominance early on, shooting the ball well in the first half, 54.5% from the field and 42.9% from three. Still, it was their defense which allowed them to build the 23 point lead that they held at the half. Villanova forced 11 Musketeers turnovers in the first half, converting those to 17 points.

Villanova’s ability to allow its defense to dictate the offense is something that head coach Denise Dillon has been looking for this season, and it appears as though the team is figuring out that execution.

“They are aware of it now,” Dillon said. “It’s just so important, and we’ll see it more in the very near future if we’re gonna stay on point with what needs to happen on the defensive end.

“Maybe Saturday against St. John’s was the best example of that for this team, and they realize that we’re never out of it if we continue to play defense.”

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The second half saw more of the same, with the Wildcats bringing the pressure on the defensive end. The Wildcats held Xavier to 21 second-half points on 30.8% shooting from the field, including 20% from deep.

This was one of Villanova’s most balanced wins this season as eight Wildcats scored, and all 12 healthy players saw playing time. Olsen’s contribution was a bright spot for Villanova, as the sophomore guard has struggled offensively as of late, with this being her first double figure game in the last four.

“I just took what the defense gave me,” Olsen said. “We worked so well as a team, so that made it easier to open it up for me. I think just working as a team helped me get a little bit of a rhythm going.”

Villanova got out to a strong start, but the Musketeers hung around for the first five minutes of the game, only trailing 14-11 with 4:26 remaining in the opening quarter. The Wildcats adjusted on the defensive end, taking away Xavier’s three-point opportunities and continuing the strong offensive play to finish the first on a 13-2 run, taking a 27-13 lead into the second quarter.

Villanova travels to Omaha to face Creighton on Friday. The Wildcats will be looking to avenge a 67-46 loss to the Bluejays from early December.

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