Villanova’s time on the dance floor didn’t last long, but Denise Dillon and Co. are determined to be back

BATON ROUGE, La. — As they walked off the dais following their postgame news conference, Jasmine Bascoe and Kelsey Joens doubled back. They wanted to snag the nameplates from the table as mementos, never mind that they were representing Villanova after a five-point loss to Texas Tech in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

After a two-season drought, Villanova was back. It was the Wildcats’ 14th time dancing, breaking a tie with St. Joseph’s for the most appearances on this stage. And though it was a quick twirl around the floor, it gave the Wildcats a taste of college basketball at its pinnacle.

» READ MORE: For these players, all roads led to Villanova. From there, it was back to the NCAA Tournament.

It was a chance for Denise Dillon and her squad to show off the style of play that emphasizes movement and sharing the ball. On some level, it’s a style that embraces community, that any player on the court can be that player on a given night. Take the first half of Friday’s 57-52 loss, for example. When shots weren’t falling, Joens, who averaged 5.4 points in 19.5 minutes this season, made all four threes she took to give Villanova (25-8) an early edge. She added just two more points to that first-half total, but she remained an active presence befitting of someone who started every game. It was her first season on the Main Line — she’s from nearly 1,000 miles away — but it was transformative.

“We love each other so much that we want to do it for one another,” said Joens, an Iowa City, Iowa, native. “You can see the bench on every play. They’re so invested and always going to cheer you up and build on that. … It’s a family. Being so far from home, you have people in your corner at all times. People will back you up. They’re going to be there for you. It doesn’t matter how far you are when you have that kind of relationship with people.”

A couple years ago, Bascoe, an Ontario native, was struck by the honesty she experienced in conversations during her recruitment.

“I had no doubt about it coming in, and being here, it’s true,” said Bascoe, who notched her 15th 20-point game with 21 on Friday. “Like, everyone truly loves everyone. We’re all doing this for the community and the people around us. It shows on the court the way we move the ball and encourage each other. I don’t know what athlete wouldn’t want to be a part of that.”

Dillon grew up in this system. She’s from Delco, graduated from Cardinal O’Hara and Villanova, and has spent her career coaching women’s basketball players here, at Drexel and now her alma mater following the retirement of her own coach, Harry Perretta. And like many a coach and player across the country, March Madness is a stated goal every season. The past two ended in near misses, but Dillon knew what they needed to do.

“So it was every day, every game we prepared for, them knowing what quad level we were playing, the urgency of the game, and they listened, they learned,” Dillon said. “That, I think, was our greatest growth this year, of seeing how important each and every contest was.”

» READ MORE: After a tough start to the season, Villanova knew where to turn: the players who’ve been in March Madness before

Her counterpart, Texas Tech’s Krista Gerlich, knows a thing or two about building, or in her case, rebuilding, a winner. As a player, she won a national championship with the Red Raiders in 1993 as part of a lengthy streak of tournament bids. But since 2004-05, Tech (26-7) had been on this stage just twice before this season. Now, it’s moving on to face second-seeded LSU on Sunday (2 p.m., 6abc).

“That’s what I want my teams to be known for. Their toughness, grittiness, competitiveness,” Gerlich said. “I wouldn’t say they wanted it more because I know Villanova wanted it just as badly. But our kids sacrificed to get it done. So I just think it sets the tone, the standard for where we want our program to be, and our incoming kids that we know are coming in now understand what that is. From Day 1, they’ll be upholding that.”

In a lot of ways, it was strength facing strength on Friday. A star guard (Bailey Maupin, who led the Red Raiders with 17 points) and a physical defense. “It was lots of fun,” said Bascoe, who, despite a costly turnover with 21 seconds to go, had her team in position to rally less than 10 seconds later after draining a three and taking a charge.

“We wanted so much more for them,” than one game, Dillon admitted, but she feels the standard was set — and not just for her squad.

“Philly basketball, I think, is the greatest,” she said. “I’m a little biased, being from the area, growing up, and playing in Philly. But it’s a great brand, and it was fantastic for us and the men to be here, representing. Penn men, as well, coming from Philly. Unfortunately we’re out, so we all got a lot more work to do in the future to represent the city and keep us going in March Madness.”

And the country got a chance to see what Dillon and Co. have been building. The Wildcats know what to expect now. They know what goes into building a resumé fit for the field of 68, and the joy, and maybe relief, of seeing your school flash on the big screen. They know what it’s like to be celebrated by friends, family, and the basketball world at large and how it feels to come achingly close to keeping that flame alive. So that leaves just one thing.

Coming back.