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Villanova women out to prove they belong in the NCAA Tournament vs. BYU

The Wildcats are the No. 11 seed in the Wichita Regional, taking on the sixth-seeded Cougars.

Villanova women’s basketball head coach Denise Dillon sits between players Brianna Herlihy (left) and Madison Siegrist (right) before the seed announcements begin during the Selection Sunday watch event at Villanova’s William B. Finneran Pavilion Mar. 13, 2022.
Villanova women’s basketball head coach Denise Dillon sits between players Brianna Herlihy (left) and Madison Siegrist (right) before the seed announcements begin during the Selection Sunday watch event at Villanova’s William B. Finneran Pavilion Mar. 13, 2022.Read moreTOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer
    by Kent Schwartz, For The Inquirer
    Published 

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Getting into the NCAA Tournament wasn’t a sure thing for the Villanova women’s team. But led by Big East player of the year Maddy Siegrist and off the back of a 15-2 run to end the season, the Wildcats squeaked in.

Now, they’re looking to make the most of their chance.

“Of course, it’s a goal to get to the NCAA Tournament, but now it’s on you to have that same mentality and execution in order to prove that you belong here,” Villanova coach Denise Dillon said on Friday.

» READ MORE: Our guide to watching the NCAA women's tournament on TV and streaming

Between No. 11 seed Villanova and its first tournament win since 2018 is No. 6 seed BYU, the regular-season West Coast Conference champion. Ranked No. 20 in the AP Top 25 poll and No. 11 in the NCAA Evaluation Tool, the Cougars dominated throughout the regular season.

They play a five-out game, like Villanova, and rely on slashing guards to outwork their opponents. Shaylee Gonzalez and Maria Albiero attack the basket, while Paisley Harding and Tegan Graham are outside threats, both averaging more than five three-point attempts a game.

“We’re going to try to run them off the three-point line, make sure they’re not hitting a lot of three-point shots,” Villanova graduate forward Brianna Herlihy said.

Against the No. 8 offense in the country, the Wildcats need to play their best defense.

“They’re going to get looks, just trying to force some more contested shots,” Dillon said. “And the end result is to try and limit the possessions, so it has to be the one and done, rebounding mentality.”

The Wildcats’ young roster will look to slow down the game and feed Siegrist. But Siegrist isn’t the reason they beat then-No. 8 UConn in February or ended the season as one of the hottest teams in the country. Instead, it was the steadfast presence of Herlihy — the only player on the roster to have played in the NCAA Tournament — and the rise of sophomore forward Lior Garzon and freshman guard Lucy Olsen.