Villanova defeats DePaul in Bascoe’s return to the starting lineup | Villanova vs. DePaul Recap
Written by David Szczepanski on January 15, 2025
VILLANOVA, PA—In Villanova’s early morning matchup on Wednesday against DePaul, the Wildcats did not need a cup of coffee to wake up their offense. They were ready to go from tipoff and outscored the Blue Demons, 34-27, in the first twenty minutes. After missing the last two games with an injury, Villanova’s Jasmine Bascoe returned to the starting lineup for the first time since January 5th.
Villanova defeated DePaul, 66-55, at the Finneran Pavilion on Wednesday. The Wildcats’ explosive duo of Jasmine Bascoe and Maddie Webber carried them to victory. Bascoe was five-for-13 from the field with 18 points and five rebounds. Maddie Webber, a sophomore from Bridgeville, PA, finished the game with 18 points, six rebounds, and three assists.
The Wildcats converted 44% of their field goal attempts. They were seven-for-22 (32%) from behind the arc. Webber, Bronagh Power-Cassidy, and Kaitlyn Orihel each made two threes.
Jorie Allen, a forward from Bedford, IN, was six-for-16 from the field with 20 points for DePaul. Shakara McCline accumulated a season-high 14 points and seven rebounds. DePaul did not have much success from the field on Wednesday. The Blue Demons made only 32% of their field goals and 19% of their three-point attempts.
DePaul, one of the best rebounding teams in the Big East, won the rebounding battle, 41-36. The Blue Demons tied the Wildcats with 26 points in the paint. However, Villanova won every other major stat category.
The Wildcats won the assist battle, 14-10. They committed 13 turnovers compared to DePaul’s 16. Villanova finished the game with 11 steals and six blocks.
Key Takeaways
Villanova’s Excellent Defense
Villanova’s defense limited DePaul’s offense for most of the game, especially in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats outscored the Blue Demons, 18-12, in the final ten minutes.
Forcing Turnovers
Villanova has allowed 64 points or less in four of its last five games. In those games, the Wildcats forced 72 turnovers, and their opponents committed an average of 14.4 turnovers per contest. They have also accumulated 37 steals in those five games, for an average of 7.4 steals per contest.
Webber is named to the Big East Honor Roll + 18 Points against DePaul
Maddie Webber was named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll on Monday. The sophomore guard was eight-for-15 from the field with 18 points against the Blue Demons. She averaged more than 17 points in her last three games, including Wednesday’s Big East battle. Webber is Villanova’s second-leading scorer with 12.4 points per contest.
After struggling against Seton Hall and UConn, Webber was 22-for-46 (48%) from the field in her last three games. She also averaged five rebounds per contest in this three-game stretch.
The Road Ahead….Villanova vs. St. John’s
Webber and the Wildcats will have an opportunity to win two consecutive games on Saturday at 2 p.m. against St. John’s at Carnesecca Arena in New York. The Wildcats defeated the Red Storm, 71-57, on December 21st at the Finneran Pavilion. WXVU will not have live coverage, but there will be social media content.
