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Here’s how No. 6 UConn proved too much, too late for No. 14 Villanova

The top 15 matchup was the first sold-out game for the women's team at Finneran Pavilion since 2004.

Bella Runyan (right) of Villanova and Aubrey Griffin of UConn dive after a loose ball during the 2nd half on Feb. 18, 2023 at the Finneran Pavilion at Villanova University.
Bella Runyan (right) of Villanova and Aubrey Griffin of UConn dive after a loose ball during the 2nd half on Feb. 18, 2023 at the Finneran Pavilion at Villanova University.Read moreCharles Fox / Staff Photographer
    by Meghann Morhardt
    Published 

In the first sold-out Villanova women’s basketball game at home since 2004, it was No. 6 UConn that came away with a 60-51 victory over No. 14 Villanova in a matchup between the two top teams in the Big East.

“I didn’t feel we capitalized on the opportunities that we had,” Villanova head coach Denise Dillon said. “Certainly credit to UConn and their defense … tough one.”

Villanova maintains its second place standing in the Big East, but the loss drops the Wildcats to two games behind the Huskies.

Statistical leaders

Senior Maddy Siegrist led Villanova (23-5, 14-3 Big East) with 21 points, three blocks, and two steals.

Sophomore Lucy Olsen added 13 points, four rebounds, and four steals, while junior Bella Runyan provided a spark off the bench with a little bit of everything. Runyan finished with nine points, three rebounds, three steals, and two blocks.

“[Runyan] left it all out there, emptied the tank on both ends of the floor,” Dillon said. “For us to take that next step, we need our players individually to get better, and I feel like Bella Runyan is that one player who has the ability to do it. … She did that today.”

UConn (24-4, 16-1) had three players in double figures led by Lou Lopez-Sénéchal, who finished with 22 points while Dorka Juhasz and Aaliyah Edwards added 14 and 13, respectively.

What we saw

In the first matchup between Villanova and UConn on Jan. 29, the Wildcats took the lead in the third quarter and held on until the final minutes, when the Huskies took over to claim a 63-58 win.

On Saturday, it was UConn with the late lead, but Villanova was unable to make the comeback — despite getting close.

The first quarter saw a dominant UConn squad shoot 64.3% from the field and lead by nine with under a minute to go. Villanova finished the quarter on a 5-0 run with a jumper from Siegrist and a three from Runyan.

Carrying this momentum, Villanova came out in the second quarter with more poise and patience. The Huskies flustered the ‘Cats for the first 10 minutes, but they flipped the script in the second and forced seven UConn turnovers. Villanova went into halftime trailing, 28-26.

The third quarter was more back-and-forth action with the Huskies taking a five-point lead into the final 10 minutes.

UConn came out hot to start the fourth, extending its advantage to 12 with 7 minutes, 43 seconds to play.

Behind the energy from the Finneran Pavilion crowd, Villanova started to creep back in. The Wildcats were showing glimpses of what they looked like in the midst of their 16-point comeback against St. John’s.

» READ MORE: ‘This is so fun’: Lucy Olsen’s joy permeates Villanova program during special season

Trailing 52-40, the Cats went on a 10-0 run. Runyan hit a jumper, and Siegrist and Olsen hit back-to-back triples to cut the Huskies’ lead to four with 4:27 remaining. Olsen hit a floater on the next possession to bring the Wildcats within two, but that was as close as they would get.

Villanova missed three crucial free throws and some open looks in the final minutes as UConn closed the game on an 8-1 run to seal the victory.

Villanova’s intensity on the defensive end kept it within striking distance. The Wildcats forced 22 UConn turnovers and converted them into 16 points.

The Huskies’ defense came up big throughout the matchup, especially down the stretch as it held Villanova without a field goal for the final four minutes.

“I think they wear you down, for sure,” Dillon said. “Early in the first half, we were getting looks but just not making them. … We started to second-guess a little bit, coming up flat and making some adjustments that were unnecessary.”

Siegrist finished 8-of-22 from the floor and tied her season low with 21 points. Edwards and Juhasz pressured the nation’s leading scorer and forced her to take some contested shots, but Siegrist felt that it was just an off day.

“Sometimes shot fall, and sometimes they don’t,” Siegrist said. “I felt like I got enough clean looks that I normally make. Today was just one of those days.”

Up Next

Villanova has consecutive home games next week with DePaul (15-13, 8-9) on Tuesday (7 p.m., FloSports) followed by Providence (13-15, 4-13) on Friday (7 p.m., FloSports).

    MM
    Meghann Morhardt
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