Villanova’s winning streak may have ended, but there’s plenty for Denise Dillon to be happy about

Villanova was starting to look unbeatable. The Wildcats had turned a shaky beginning of the 2025-26 season into a 10-game winning streak that stretched into Big East play.

They’d won five straight conference games, including a crucial New Year’s Day matchup vs. Creighton. However, Marquette ended Villanova’s hot streak, exposing its flaws in an 85-69 win on Sunday in Milwaukee.

Villanova (12-3, 5-1 Big East) entered the matchup at No. 28 in the NCAA’s NET rankings. Despite Sunday’s disappointment, coach Denise Dillon’s Wildcats have piled up wins and seem poised to contend with the top women’s teams in the Big East.

Villanova entered the game with the second-best defense in the Big East. Opponents were averaging just 58.8 points and shooting 37.2% from the field against the Wildcats.

However, the Golden Eagles (10-5, 4-2) were unfazed. Villanova gave up the most points it had this season, and, although it tied the score twice, Marquette led for the majority of the game and shot 51.75% from the field.

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Marquette’s Halle Vice was unstoppable. The junior guard scored 14 points in the first quarter alone and made each of her first nine shots from the field en route to a 32-point outing. Guard Jaidynn Mason and forward Skylar Forbes also scored 20 points each.

Villanova especially struggled to defend Marquette’s three-point shooting. The Golden Eagles knocked down 61.1% of their shots from long range, going 11-for-18. The Wildcats’ full-court press didn’t slow them down, and they led by as many as 20 points in the fourth quarter.

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Sophomore guard Jasmine Bascoe has been Villanova’s dependable backcourt leader. She held up the offense against Marquette with 20 points and four assists. Bascoe is averaging a team-best 17.3 points, which also is good for third in the Big East.

While Bascoe remains a crucial presence for the Wildcats, the team’s depth on offense has helped it thrive this season. Bascoe, also the team’s assists leader, has plenty of reliable options around her.

Those options were tested on Dec. 29 at DePaul, as Bascoe went down with a leg injury in the first quarter and missed the rest of the game. Junior forward Brynn McCurry filled the gap, scoring 18 points as four Wildcats finished in double figures in an 81-48 win.

Bascoe was back on the court in the Wildcats’ 74-64 win over Creighton. Freshman forward Kennedy Henry led the scoring with a career-high 19 points in that win, while Bascoe added 15.

Villanova sits in second place in the conference standings behind No. 1 UConn (15-0, 6-0). The Wildcats have defied expectations early in conference play, after being picked to finish fourth in the Big East preseason poll.

With the loss to Marquette behind them, the Wildcats will look to bounce back on their home court. Villanova next hosts Xavier (9-6, 2-4) on Thursday (11:30 a.m., ESPN+).