Villanova Women’s Basketball Stifles Marquette On Senior Day

VILLANOVA, Pa.— Villanova Women’s Basketball locked up the No. 2 seed in the Big East on Sunday, Feb. 22, stifling Marquette 64-39 at the Finneran Pavilion.

The Wildcats (22-6, 15-4 Big East) forced 22 turnovers, taking 21 more shots than Marquette did. On an afternoon of streaky shooting, those extra chances proved critical. After the Golden Eagles put up 85 points the first time they played Villanova, the Wildcats allowed just 31.7 percent of shots to fall in the rematch.

Senior forward Denae Carter (14 points) continued her hot shooting from the UConn game, scoring the Wildcats’ first six points; Jasmine Bascoe led the field with 18 points. Villanova held Marquette to just two field goals made in the first ten minutes, forcing nine turnovers and opening the game on a 14-2 run.

The Wildcats started to speed things up in the second quarter, rushing and missing shots (including a 1-for-6 clip from three) that allowed the Golden Eagles to stay within reach. Two second chance layups cut the deficit to 23-16, but Villanova managed to find their footing with a 6-2 run on the way into the half.

From there, Marquette went more than eight minutes without making a shot from the field, allowing the Wildcats to chew through clock even as their own offense vacillated. Kelsey Joens scored seven points in the second half, beginning to snap out of a shooting slump that began soon after the New Year.

A 17-2 run early in the fourth quarter locked up the win, allowing head coach Denise Dillon to give her seniors some final minutes at the Finn.

Villanova Women’s Basketball will conclude their 2025-26 regular season on the road against Seton Hall at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26.