Here’s how Lucy Olsen breathed life into Villanova’s upset of No. 22 Marquette

Star guard Lucy Olsen often remarks ‘basketball is fun’ in interviews, on her social media, and all over her merch. In a game that looked anything but fun for Villanova until the final 30 seconds, Olsen made that statement ring as true as ever with a 37-point performance that turned what looked like a loss into a 66-63 upset win for the Wildcats against No. 22 Marquette.

Against one of the most offensively efficient teams in the nation, Olsen’s clutch buckets and free throws down the stretch buoyed Villanova (12-5, 5-1 Big East), improving head coach Denise Dillon’s team to its sixth win in a row.

“Through experience, you’re seeing that they’re more comfortable and Lucy [just continued to go] and she looked, she waited, she didn’t force something and got to the rim for a [tough shot],” Dillon said, post-game, “and be honest, six or four weeks ago, we’re either taking a rushed shot or I’m calling a timeout for us to get set, so it’s really nice to see that understanding and growth come into play and for them to be rewarded for it. Never giving up six, down six mentality came back tonight.”

» READ MORE: It took Villanova junior Lucy Olsen just 2½ years to reach 1,000 career points. How did she do it?

The 5-foot-9 junior guard, continued what’s been an incredible season so far. Notching 24 points under her belt with over 15 minutes left to play, Olsen’s 37 marked the second-highest point total of her career, going 12-for-19 from the field, including 2-for-3 from beyond the arc.

“We’re getting more comfortable out there, my pace was better today, I wasn’t trying to force stuff and I let the game come to me,” Olsen said. “We’ve been in these situations a lot this year, [and] I feel like even though we lost a few in the beginning, it’s really helped us learn that we don’t need to freak out, nice and calm and I feel like our communication is really good, we were keeping each other in check, not getting too overwhelmed or looking too far ahead.”

Despite the win, their fifth straight against Marquette (15-3, 4-3), Villanova struggled on defense. The Golden Eagles did as they pleased for most of the day, shooting 53.6% in the first half showcasing why they are one of the nation’s best offensive teams. However, the Wildcats found resiliency late, able to keep pace until taking over with just under four minutes left in regulation.

“[The stand] was huge, they’re the team that scores, they score efficiently at a high percentage, the awareness of that was great,” Dillon said, “I felt the group we had out there, as Lucy said, was connected, with the recognition of switching screens, keeping them in front and not bailing them out.”

In addition to Olsen’s firepower, forward Christina Dalce totaled another double-double, her eighth of the year finishing with 10 points and 14 rebounds and seven blocks. Dalce also played the role of hero for Villanova in the final four seconds with a pair of big blocks.

Marquette was led by sophomore sharpshooter Kenzie Hare (21 points) who shot 50% from three (5 of 10).

For a team that seemed to be on the outside looking in when it comes to a potential NCAA tournament berth, Villanova has life. Every win is critical, especially with two tough games against No. 21 Creighton this Sunday (noon, FloHoops) alongside a date surely circled in red ink against No. 9 UConn on Jan. 31.

“There are a few games we coughed up in non-conference and if you feel that and you continue to step on the floor to prove otherwise, the results will take care of themselves,” Dillon said. “You gotta step out there and put yourself in the best position possible, we did that with a tough non-conference schedule [and] we know every night in the Big East is going to be a battle, so to go up against those top teams, Marquette tonight and we got an even bigger test coming our way this Sunday.”

This story was produced as part of a partnership between The Inquirer and City of Basketball Love, a nonprofit news organization that covers high school and college basketball in the Philadelphia area while also helping mentor the next generation of sportswriters. This collaboration will help boost coverage of the city’s vibrant amateur basketball scene, from the high school ranks up through the Big 5 and beyond.