Jasmine Bascoe puts on a show to lead Villanova to an impressive win against Xavier
The victory provided the Wildcats a bit of a boost and a timely rebound win following a tough midweek loss to No. 6 UConn
After a demoralizing 43-point loss to No. 6 UConn on Wednesday, the only place for the Villanova women’s basketball team to go was up.
On Saturday, the Wildcats did just that with a 67-52 victory over Xavier in front of a large Alumni Day crowd at Finneran Pavilion.
Villanova (11-10, 5-4 Big East) stands sixth in the conference, while Xavier (6-14, 1-8) remains in last place.
“We had a short turnaround to prepare, but I felt our team would be fired up with an opportunity against Xavier in front of a home crowd,” said Wildcats coach Denise Dillon.
Freshman guard Jasmine Bascoe led Villanova with 25 points, seven assists, and four steals. Also scoring in double digits for the Wildcats were sophomore guard Maddie Webber (15) and junior guard Ryanne Allen (10).
Villanova shakes a slow start
A lethargic first quarter from Villanova ended with Xavier leading, 13-4. The Wildcats shot just 2-for-17 from the field and 0-for-6 from three in the opening 10 minutes.
But the Wildcats ignited their offense in the second quarter behind a 12-0 run in the first 3 minutes, 8 seconds. Bascoe led the comeback, driving in two layups and sinking back-to-back threes to put the Wildcats up, 16-13, en route to a 27-24 halftime lead.
Villanova extended its lead to double digits in the third quarter.
“The second and third periods were really strong,” Dillon said. “The challenge for this crew is putting four quarters together.”
Dominant rebounding also helped Villanova flip the lead. Junior forward Denae Carter was just shy of a double-double, finishing with nine points and 13 rebounds.
Rookies lead the way
Bascoe continued spearheading the offense, scoring 15 points in the second half.
With graduate forward Lara Edmanson and senior guard Kaitlyn Orihel sidelined by injuries, freshman guard Dani Ceseretti stepped up on defense, recording four steals and three rebounds.
“[Ceseretti] was tremendous, coming in as a freshman,” Dillon said. “She was that spark that we’ve been looking for. She can do a lot of things on the floor, but I was happy that her focus today was on the defensive end and got some steals. That was key for us.”
Alumni honored
More than 30 Villanova women’s basketball alumni were honored at halftime, representing Wildcats from the classes of 1969 to 2024.
Marie Maguire, who helped found the first-ever Villanova women’s team, made her annual return for Alumni Day sharing stories and memories.
“I’m so lucky to have been able to start the team here and to be the first captain,” Maguire said. “It’s a thrill to come back here every year, and I know so many of these people. [Many] of our children have played in the Big 5.”
Recent alums Maddy Siegrist and Bella Runyan were also in attendance, something Dillon, a Villanova women’s great in her own right, hopes to continue fostering.
“Being a proud alum myself, it’s a special day, and I want all our players to feel that,” Dillon said. “That’s something I want to continue to carry here at Villanova, not just as an alum but getting our players to continue to return and support a program that gave them so much.”
Next up
Villanova has a midweek bye before returning to the Finneran Pavilion to host Marquette (12-6, 4-3) on Feb. 2 (2 p.m., FloSports).
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