Washington, D.C. — Villanova opened BIG EAST play on Thursday night with a strong 76–69 victory over Georgetown, giving the Wildcats their sixth win of the season and their first in conference action. Villanova now sits at 6–2 overall and 1–0 in league play, while the Hoyas fall to 5–3 and 0–1 in the BIG EAST.
After leading 32–27 early in the third quarter, Villanova took control with an 11–2 surge. Sophomore guard Jasmine Bascoe powered the stretch, scoring nine of the team’s 11 points and helping the Wildcats create a 43–29 cushion with just over six minutes left in the period.
Villanova maintained a double-digit advantage for most of the quarter, stretching the lead to as many as 15 points. A pair of late baskets pulled Georgetown within 10, but the Wildcats still held a 54–44 lead entering the fourth.
Georgetown’s Khadee Hession opened the final quarter with a three-pointer to cut the deficit to seven. Villanova immediately answered with six straight points — a mid-range jumper and two free throws from Brynn McCurry, followed by a layup from Denae Carter — to push the margin back to 60–47.
The Hoyas briefly threatened again, trimming the gap to 63–55 behind free throws from Victoria Rivera. But Villanova closed the door for good. McCurry drilled a jumper and Kennedy Henry knocked down a three-pointer, restoring a double-digit lead at 68–55 with 4:37 remaining.
Bascoe finished with a game-high 26 points, including several crucial buckets during Villanova’s second-half separation. McCurry added 20 points on 6-for-11 shooting, marking her second straight game reaching the 20-point mark.
Georgetown had three players reach 12 points: Laila Jewett, Khia Miller, and Summer Davis.
Statistically, Villanova shot 45.9% from the field (28 of 61), 28.6% from long range (6 of 21), and 77.8% from the free-throw line (14 of 18). Georgetown hit 34.8% from the floor, including 4 of 16 from deep, and went 19 of 27 at the line.
Villanova returns home on Sunday, Dec. 7, hosting Saint Joseph’s in the BIG 5 championship. Tip-off is set for 4:30 p.m.
Georgetown will travel to North Carolina to play Wake Forest on Sunday, Dec. 7th.
