Villanova women edged by Marquette, 50-48, in Big East quarterfinals

In March, foul shots can make or break games.

That’s a lesson No. 4 Villanova learned as the Wildcats fell to No. 5 Marquette, 50-48, in the Big East tournament quarterfinals on Saturday in Uncasville, Conn.

Down by two with 36 seconds remaining, Villanova had the chance to tie the game when Christina Dalce recovered a loose ball after a missed jumper and went to the line.

But Dalce missed both shots, and then Lucy Olsen missed a layup at the buzzer, sending the Golden Eagles to the semifinals.

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The Wildcats’ shooting was anything but pretty on Saturday.

Villanova went 22-for-63 (34.9%) from the field and shot just 13.3% from behind the arc, making its first three-pointer nearly 25 minutes in.

With star shooter Olsen picking up her third foul in the third quarter, the Wildcats had their lowest-scoring quarter of the season with just seven points.

The Golden Eagles shot 40% from deep, and made 73.7% of their shots from the stripe.

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If three’s a party and two’s a crowd, Olsen didn’t need a crowd. She was more than prepared for a solo performance.

Despite the loss, the 5-foot-9 guard showed exactly why she leads the Big East in scoring. Olsen finished with a game-high 22 points, including the Wildcats’ only two three-pointers, while contributing four rebounds and two assists.

The only setback? Olsen picked up her fourth personal foul with 6 minutes, 45 seconds remaining.

And that’s where Dalce, the Big East’s leading rebounder and Villanova’s second-leading scorer, stepped up.

Dalce had two layups within 50 seconds, tying the score with each made basket to keep the Wildcats in the game while Olsen was sidelined.

In a game where there was little room for error, the Wildcats and Golden Eagles were trading turnovers just as much as they were trading baskets.

In the first half alone, Villanova had seven turnovers, while Marquette had 10 — and those numbers only continued to grow for the Golden Eagles in the second half.

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While Villanova had just three more turnovers in the second half, Marquette ended the matchup with 17 turnovers that led to 14 Villanova points and kept the Wildcats in the game until the final buzzer.

Marquette will now advance to the semifinals against No. 1 UConn on Sunday. The Wildcats will head back home with crossed fingers.

Selection Sunday is set for March 17 (8 p.m., ESPN), and the Wildcats will find out if their 18-12 season will be enough to punch them a ticket to the big dance.