Powered by its defense, Villanova routs Providence on Senior Night

Friday night’s matchup between No. 15 Villanova and Providence did not feature any spectacular offensive performances. Instead, it was a defensive battle in which both teams struggled to find a rhythm.

Villanova’s smothering defense came out on top as it forced 18 turnovers en route to a 67-50 home victory on Senior Night.

“I was really pleased with our defense, the first half especially,” Villanova head coach Denise Dillon said. “We talked about crowding the ball and we did just that. … I think this group really knows the importance of defense creating offense.”

With the win, Villanova (24-5, 16-3 Big East) clinched second place in the Big East and consequently locked Creighton (20-7, 14-5) into third.

Senior Maddy Siegrist led the Wildcats with 23 points, four rebounds, and two blocks. Fellow senior Brooke Mullin chipped in six points and a team-high seven assists.

Sophomores Lucy Olsen and Christina Dalce joined Siegrist in double figures. Olsen recorded a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, while Dalce added 11 points and six rebounds.

Providence (13-17, 4-17) was led by Olivia Olsen, who finished with 15 points, four rebounds, and three blocks. Grace Efosa and Janai Crooms also scored in double figures with 13 and 12, respectively.

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It was clear from the first 10 minutes that Villanova was the better team. The Wildcats’ stifling first-quarter defense forced eight early turnovers and held the Friars to 27.3% shooting as they took an 18-7 lead into the second.

The Wildcats continued to dominate in the second as they extended their advantage to 19 and led, 37-18, at the half.

The Friars gained some momentum in the second half, scoring the first four points of the third quarter, but the Wildcats responded with a 5-0 run to settle themselves.

The remainder of the game saw Providence go on little runs but never get closer than 14.

Villanova’s offense was running just how Dillon likes with a lot of motion. The Wildcats moved the ball effectively, recording 22 assists on 25 field goals.

“We run an offense that requires movement,” Dillon said. “We’ve seen how good this group is in the open court. I think we’ve done a nice job in transition but also recognizing that we can be just as good in the halfcourt with our cuts and ball movement.”

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Before tipoff, Villanova honored its two seniors in Siegrist and Mullin. Both seniors have another year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 year the NCAA granted all athletes in 2020-21.

“These two are great,” Dillon said of Mullin and Siegrist. “I think about it often because I came in their sophomore year. Just their willingness to get started with the COVID year, it was so tough. … Watching their growth and development has been an absolute joy.”

Neither have announced their plan for next year, but all eyes will be on Siegrist as this season comes to an end. The star forward has a decision to make: enter the WNBA draft as a projected first-round pick or one more year of college basketball at Villanova or elsewhere.

Villanova closes out the regular season with a trip to Seton Hall (17-12, 10-9) on Monday night (7 p.m., FS1). Led by a record-breaking 50-point performance by Siegrist, the Wildcats routed the Pirates, 99-65, two weeks ago at home.