Jasmine Bascoe’s 18 points help Villanova dominate Marquette, 64-39, on Senior Night

The Villanova women’s basketball team bounced back from a loss to No. 1 UConn with a 64-39 victory over Marquette Sunday on Senior Night at Finneran Pavilion.

With the win, Villanova (22-6, 14-5 Big East) maintained its second-place spot in Big East standings in a crucial final week of the schedule.

For coach Denise Dillon, Sunday’s game encapsulated the team’s trajectory of improvement across the season. It was a significant turnaround from the Wildcats’ 85-69 loss at Marquette on Jan. 4.

Sophomore guard Jasmine Bascoe led the team with 18 points, four rebounds, and seven assists. Graduate forward Denae Carter added 14 points, and freshman guard Kennedy Henry scored 13.

“After the last game, we knew that wasn’t us, and we were ready for this game,” Bascoe said. “We’ve had quite a few in between, but it’s always kind of been in the back of our minds. I couldn’t tell you how excited we all were for this game. The win’s amazing, and we’re so proud of everyone because we fought today.”

Sunday afternoon’s game was a testament to Villanova’s improvement on defense after giving up 85 points to Marquette (16-11, 10-8) in their previous matchup.

The Wildcats were especially effective in stopping Halle Vice, who dropped 32 points back in January. Vice finished Sunday’s game with nine points.

“We put Denae Carter on [Vice] to start the game, so that adjustment was made,” Dillon said. “Today, [Carter] rose to the occasion and certainly set the tone. I don’t think [Vice] felt that she had any breathing room. Even when she caught it on a kick-out, Denae’s closeout was tremendous. ... Those defensive stops are a team positive, but when one person on the ball is setting the tone, it makes it a lot easier for the rest.”

Villanova held a 16-5 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Freshman guard Kennedy Henry brought energy on both sides of the ball, scoring a team-high nine points and notching three steals in the first half. The Wildcats forced 14 turnovers from the Golden Eagles in the first 20 minutes, which ended with a 29-18 advantage.

Villanova held Marquette to just 31.7% shooting from the field across the game.

“When we were leaving Milwaukee in January, this group had [this game] circled on their calendar, so they wanted this one back,” Dillon said. “They were locked in to what needed to be done defensively, and certainly executed it.”

Both teams struggled with shooting from outside the arc. Marquette was 2-for-13 from three-point range, while Villanova was 3-for-16.

For five graduating Villanova players, Sunday’s game was their last at the Finneran Pavilion.

“It was a big game for us, but we were thinking about [the seniors] the whole time, so we got our emotions out early,” Bascoe said. “We kind of had to bring it back in. But I’m just so proud of all of them. They’ve done so much for our team, and for me as an individual as well. So I couldn’t be more thankful for all those girls.”

As Villanova led, 60-38, with just over three minutes to play, senior forward Annie Welde came in off the bench. Dillon praised Welde, a Cardinal O’Hara alumna and team captain, for her “commitment to what Villanova’s all about, the community, and making this place better.” Welde cut inside and scored on a layup to finish her career on the Main Line.

In its final game of the regular season, Villanova will go on the road for another key matchup against Seton Hall on Thursday (7 p.m., Peacock). The Pirates (18-9, 12-6) sit third in the conference.

The Big East tournament, hosted at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., begins on March 6.