Yet another Maddy Siegrist double-double powers Villanova’s 71-64 win over DePaul

Wednesday’s matchup between No. 25 Villanova and DePaul was highly anticipated, as it marked the first time that the Big East’s top two scorers faced off this season. Villanova’s Maddy Siegrist and DePaul’s Aneesah Morrow put on a show, each recording double-doubles to lead their teams.

While the Blue Demons fought to the end, cutting it to five with a minute to play, Siegrist and her Wildcats ultimately came out on top, picking up the 71-64 road victory.

» READ MORE: Villanova’s Maddy Siegrist and Drexel’s Keishana Washington rank No. 1 and No. 2 in the nation in scoring. Here’s the reason why.

Siegrist led Villanova (15-3, 6-1 Big East) with 32 points and 12 rebounds, marking her third consecutive double-double, and sixth in the last seven games. Sophomore Christina Dalce added 13 points to go along with seven rebounds, four blocks, and three steals.

Junior Maddie Burke had one of her best all-around performances, finishing with 11 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. Senior Brooke Mullin added a game-high seven assists.

Morrow led DePaul (10-7, 3-3 Big East) with 28 points and 11 rebounds to go along with two steals and two blocks. Jorie Allen was the second Blue Demon in double figures, finishing with 15 points, seven rebounds, and three assists.

The first quarter started slow for the Wildcats as Siegrist could not find the bucket until midway through the period.

She has been experiencing flu-like symptoms throughout the week and was unable to fully participate in practice ahead of the matchup. While it took a while for her to settle in, once the senior found her rhythm, she was able to overcome the illness and return to her usual dominant play.

Like it has in almost every win this season, the Wildcats defense carried them to the victory. Villanova forced 14 DePaul turnovers and converted them into 18 points. The Wildcats struggled with turnovers of their own, however, committing an uncharacteristic 16 on the night.

Dalce showed some guts in her defensive assignment of Morrow. It was no easy task guarding the No. 4 scorer in the nation. While Morrow finished with 28 points, Dalce, with help from Siegrist and Burke at times, held her to 12 of 34 from the field and frustrated her on the boards.

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Villanova held a 35-31 halftime lead. The Wildcats came out hot and picked up the defensive intensity in the third, going on a 23-9 run to take an 18-point lead with 2 minutes, 32 seconds on the clock. This gave Villanova some breathing room in the form of a 58-48 lead entering the final 10 minutes, despite an 8-0 run from the Blue Demons.

Villanova returns home to host St. John’s (14-2, 5-2 Big East) on Saturday (2 p.m., FloSports). The Red Storm was ranked in the AP Top 25 for a few weeks but fell out after a loss to Seton Hall on Jan. 4.