Villanova faces tough task against UConn in Big East Tournament Semifinals | Villanova vs. UConn Preview
Written by David Szczepanski on March 9, 2025
UNCASVILLE, CT—After the Wildcats’ win against Marquette on Saturday, Villanova will face its toughest task against UConn in the Big East Tournament Semifinals on Sunday afternoon.
#5 Villanova (18-13, 11-7 Big East) defeated #4 Marquette (20-10, 12-6), 73-66, at Mohegan Sun Arena to advance to Sunday’s contest. Jasmine Bascoe had a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds on seven-for-16 shooting. Maddie Burke made five threes and scored 18 points. The Wildcats converted 46% of their field goals, including nine-for-23 (39%) from three-point range.
Marquette’s Skylar Forbes, a sophomore from Markham, ON, finished the game with 23 points and eight rebounds. Halle Vice continued her success against Villanova with 17 points and nine rebounds. She averaged 19 points against the Wildcats this season. The Golden Eagles won the rebounding battle, 42-29. Marquette made 38% of its field goal attempts and only 23% of its 13 threes.
It was the first time this season that Marquette allowed more than 72 points to a conference opponent other than UConn. With the win, Villanova won the season series against the Golden Eagles, 2-1.
Villanova’s Jasmine Bascoe was named to the Big East All-Conference First Team and All-Conference Freshman Team on Thursday. Bascoe is the sixth-leading scorer in the Big East, with more than 16 points per game. Maddie Webber also earned a spot on the All-Conference Second Team.
UConn wins the Big East again with undefeated conference season
The Wildcats will meet #1 UConn (29-3, 18-0) in the Big East Tournament Semifinals. UConn was ranked third in the country in the latest AP Top 25 Poll. The Huskies were undefeated in conference play and won the Big East for the fifth consecutive season. Their only losses were against Notre Dame, USC, and Tennessee in non-conference play. They swept Villanova by an average margin of victory of 37 points.
Bueckers and Strong Lead the Way
UConn defeated St. John’s, 71-40, on Saturday. The Huskies average more than 81 points per contest to lead the Big East. Paige Bueckers has become one of the most well-known and successful players in college basketball. She averages 18.7 points and five assists per game in 2024-25. She is the third-leading scorer in the conference behind Georgetown’s Kelsey Ransom and DePaul’s Jorie Allen.
Sarah Strong is off to a fantastic start to her college career. The freshman forward from Fuquay-Varina, NC, averages almost 16 points and eight rebounds per contest. She recorded her seventh double-double of the season against the Red Storm, with 10 points and 14 rebounds. Strong scored 43 points against Villanova this season.
In addition to Bueckers and Strong, Azzi Fudd also averages more than 12 points per game. She converts 44% of her three-point attempts and accumulated 11 points against St. John’s.
The Huskies’ defense is also one of the best in the Big East, allowing only 52 points per game. UConn limits its opponents to a 30% success rate from behind the arc. The Huskies force 19 turnovers and 11 steals per game. They also grab 36.7 rebounds per contest.
Game Info + How to Watch
Today’s contest begins at 2:30 p.m. in Uncasville, CT. The game can be watched on FOX. The winning team will play the winner of Creighton vs. Seton Hall tomorrow at 7 p.m.
