Villanova WBB, Kennedy Henry Prevail in Freshman Showdown

VILLANOVA, Pa. — Villanova Women’s Basketball rolled to a 74-64 win over the Creighton Blue Jays on Thursday, Jan. 1, racing out to a double digit lead with a strong second quarter. Freshman guard Kennedy Henry (19 points) helped them stave off a comeback with 14 second half points.

This marks the Wildcats’ (12-2, 5-0 Big East) tenth win in a row.

Creighton opened the game on an 8-0 run as Villanova turned the ball over three times in the first three minutes. Dani Ceseretti checked in and promptly sank a three to snap that stretch, but the Wildcats made just one of their first 11 shots before another bench three, this one from Ryanne Allen, got them going. Villanova closed the first quarter on an 8-0 run that tied the game at 13.

Their hot shooting — and the Blue Jays’ struggles — continued into the second period. After a three from Creighton freshman Neleigh Gessert with 4:07 to play in the first quarter, the Blue Jays made just one shot, another Gessert triple, over the next ten minutes, Villanova taking command with a 22-3 lead. Allen went a perfect 5-for-5 from the field in the first half, landing three threes and finishing with 14 points.

Gessert put up a game-high 25 points, sinking seven of nine three-point attempts, and accounted for nine points in the third quarter as the Blue Jays closed their deficit from 17 points to eight. The Wildcats got a strong performance from one of their own freshmen in return as Henry began to heat up. The six foot tall Delaware native sank a three to open the fourth quarter, sparking a 7-0 run that slashed into Creighton’s comeback hopes.

Up next, Villanova will travel to face Marquette at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 4.