Villanova’s battle against No. 1 UConn brought fleeting flashbacks of the ‘old-school Big East’

The Finneran Pavilion was the loudest it had been all season for Villanova women’s basketball as the Wildcats hosted No. 1 UConn on Wednesday night.

The energy in the packed arena intensified at halftime when the unexpected happened: Villanova led the undefeated Huskies by three points. It was the first time all season that UConn trailed at the half.

“The atmosphere that was created was tremendous,” said Villanova coach Denise Dillon. “I loved hearing [the fans]. They were here for us. That was the difference, and you felt it from the beginning of the game and carrying through.”

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The magic of Villanova’s first half eventually wore off, as UConn pulled away in the third quarter. The Huskies then held a double-digit lead to secure an 83-69 win. Villanova will be back in the Finneran Pavilion on Sunday to host Marquette, which stands fourth in the Big East (3:30 p.m., Peacock).

However, Villanova’s tough stance against the nation’s top team was enough to remind the 41-year UConn coach Geno Auriemma of what he called the “old-school Big East.”

The conference rivalry, which has dissipated since the advent of the NIL and transfer portal era, seemed to have been revived — at least for the moment.

Auriemma reflected on the rivalry between Villanova and UConn over the years. Although UConn owns the all-time record 49-7, the longtime coach, who grew up in Norristown, suggested the competition intensified since UConn rejoined the Big East in 2000 after a seven-year stint in the American Confernce.

Now, UConn (28-0, 17-0 Big East) and Villanova (21-6, 14-4) hold the top two places in the conference standings. But the gap between the two programs remains wide.

“Every mistake we made in the first half [tonight], we paid for it,” Auriemma said. “The crowd was great. The two best teams in the league are playing, it’s a great atmosphere. I love the way Denise does things with her team. As much as I enjoy coming [to Villanova] because a lot of friends and family are down here, I didn’t really miss it those seven years.”

Wednesday’s game was a much different contest than the last time the two teams faced off just over a month ago. The Huskies bulldozed their way to a 99-50 victory on Jan. 15 on their home court.

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“It honestly was a train wreck at their place,” Dillon said. “So the growth from a month ago is fantastic. That’s what you want, especially when you have younger players and [Jasmine Bascoe] leading the way, directing out there on the floor.”

After being limited to just eight points in January’s matchup against UConn, sophomore guard Jasmine Bascoe was all over the court on Wednesday night. Bascoe scored 18 of her 26 points in the first half. She also added nine rebounds and seven assists, while playing the full 40 minutes.

In each of Denae Carter’s three seasons at Villanova, a win over UConn was out of sight. UConn recorded 100 points against Villanova for the first time last season and went on to win the national championship. The Huskies were one point away from repeating that in January.

Carter, a graduate forward who joined the Wildcats in 2023-24 as a Mississippi State transfer, is one of Villanova’s few veteran players.

Against UConn, she recorded a career-high 21 points, shooting 8-for-9 from the field and 3-for-3 on three-pointers. She also notched three steals and three blocks while being matched up with Sarah Strong, the Big East’s top scorer.

“[Strong] is a great player, and our focus really was just stopping everybody and helping each other,” Carter said. “I think we did a really good job in the first half, and we just have to sustain that.”

With two regular-season games remaining of her college career, Carter is a player the program will continue to lean on.

“I think that maturity came through tonight and she’s tough to take off the floor at any point,” Dillon said. “We’re going to keep [Carter] out there longer as she finishes her career.”

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What was once an intense rivalry between UConn and Villanova may not be achievable in the current college sports landscape. But Villanova’s unprecedented first half on Wednesday showed that the program is hungry to change that.

“We have such a great connection,” Carter said. “On the court, we’re able to display that a lot. We have fun together. We’re playing all five out there, and I think Sunday is just going to be a really great opportunity for us to get that one back.”