Villanova Women’s Basketball

Villanova Women’s Basketball Punches Ticket to Big 5 Title Game

Published

3 weeks ago

November 26, 2025

Image courtesy of Nova WBB's Instagram account.

Villanova Women’s Basketball defeated La Salle 66-54 on Tuesday, Nov. 25, securing their spot in the Big 5 championship game at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7 and finalizing the matchups for each of the three pod 2 participants in the Big 5 Classic.

Villanova (5-2, 2-0 Big 5) will face the winner of the Saturday, Nov. 29 game between Drexel and Saint Joseph’s. The loser of that game will take on Temple (3-3, 1-1 Big 5), and Penn, which went 0-2 against the Dragons and the Hawks, will face La Salle (5-2, 0-2 Big 5). Each of those three games will take place at the Finneran Pavilion on Sunday, Dec. 7.

The Wildcats lost to Temple on their home court in the Big 5 Classic last season.

Villanova Buries Explorers

The Wildcats took control of their road date with the Explorers in the first quarter, sinking a quartet of three-point shots, including two on consecutive possessions from sophomore guard Jasmine Bascoe, to pull ahead 18-6. Those opening struggles sank La Salle, who kept the scoring margin even the rest of the way. Villanova junior Brynn McCurry led the field with 18 points, adding seven rebounds and five assists in a well-rounded performance.

Bascoe (16 points) and freshman Kennedy Henry (11 points, four steals) also scored in double digits, while Ashleigh Connor (17 points) and Kiara Williams (14 points) set the pace for the Explorers. Villanova didn’t make a basket for more than three minutes to open the third quarter, allowing a 6-0 La Salle run that cut their lead to 36-27, but two more threes from Bascoe gave the Wildcats breathing room.

A Connor and-one made it 48-43 with 8:32 to play, then Villanova senior Denae Carter went on a 5-0 run of her own to reestablish a double digit lead. Of the Wildcats’ 18 fourth quarter points, 14 came at the free throw line as they closed the Explorers out. Now back healthy and winners of three in a row, the Wildcats will return to action at No. 21 West Virginia on Monday, Dec. 1; the Explorers will next host VCU on Wednesday, Dec. 3.