No. 25 Villanova women rout St. Joe’s, 82-59, ending the Hawks’ unbeaten streak

In a crucial City 6 matchup, No. 25 Villanova, sitting on just two losses so far, was looking to capture a win over unbeaten St. Joseph’s on Saturday afternoon. Just a few minutes of play showed which team was going to come out on top.

The Wildcats jumped out to a 28-8 lead by the end of the first quarter and cruised through the remaining three, defeating the Hawks, 82-59, at the Finneran Pavilion.

The win clinches at least a share of the Big 5 title for the Wildcats, with only La Salle standing in the way of an outright championship.

Villanova (9-2) was led by senior Maddy Siegrist, who almost had a double-double with 31 points and eight rebounds.

The Wildcats, though, had a scoring committee approach against the Hawks. Sophomore Lucy Olsen came in clutch with 20 points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Fellow sophomore Christina Dalce chipped in nine points and eight rebounds, while junior Maddie Burke went 4-for-4 from beyond the arc for 12 points.

“[Burke’s] getting more comfortable in the offense, and her teammates are looking for her more,” Villanova head coach Denise Dillon said. “We really need to get her more shots. She had four shots. It’s unbelievable with her range and her percentage, but that will come more within the offense”

Talya Brugler led St. Joe’s (9-1) with 14 points, while Mackenzie Smith also carried the load in scoring with 12. The Hawks were missing starting guard Katie Jekot, who suffered an injury in the team’s game against Rider on Dec. 7.

Villanova opened with an 8-0 run in the first quarter, setting the tone for the remainder of the contest. The Wildcats had efficient shooting — 54.7% from the field, including 65% from distance, giving them some insurance in the second half.

But it wasn’t just an offensive spark that gave the Wildcats momentum. Villanova’s defense was even more impressive as it held the Hawks to 29.6% shooting in the first half and 37% overall.

The Hawks started to find some rhythm in the second half, but the Wildcats offense was too much for the St. Joe’s defense to handle.

St. Joe’s went on an 11-0 run in third quarter, trimming its deficit to 14-points.

However, the Wildcats quickly found their footing to alleviate a Hawks comeback. Villanova’s Brooke Mullin missed a 3-pointer, but Burke tipped the rebound, throwing it back to an open Olsen, who then made a second-chance 3-pointer as time expired.

The basket extended Villanova’s lead to 64-47 and settled the Wildcats as they entered the final quarter.

Villanova has some time off before it travels to Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., to take on No. 10 Iowa State in the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase on Dec. 18 (3:30 p.m.)

St. Joe’s also has a break before it hosts Wright State on Dec. 20 (1 p.m, ESPN+) at Hagan Arena.