Villanova will end a homestand of four games on Sunday, January 30, when the Xavier Musketeers come to the Finneran Pavilion. The Wildcats are currently playing at 12-6 overall, 6-3 in BIG-EAST play, and Xavier is 7-11 and 2-2-7. Tip-off will take place at 2 p.m.
Sunday’s match against Xavier will mark the 17th meeting between these two schools. Villanova is leading the all-time series by 15-1 against the Musketeers. On March 21, 2006, the Wildcats beat the Musketeers by a score 59-47 in round two of the WNIT. After the Big East Conference was formed, the Wildcats & Musketeers played 15 matches. Xavier won the series’ only win with a 75-67 overtime win on Dec. 31, 2015.
Despite being BIG EAST Conference members both teams will meet for the first time since the 2019-20 season. Due to COVID-related reasons, both games for the 2020-21 campaign had been postponed. During the 2019-20 season Villanova and Xavier met once more, with the Wildcats winning all three games (66-54 at Villanova; 56-54 at Xavier; 64-60 in overtime in Big East Tournament).
Villanova won nine of the last ten games to improve its record to 12-6 after starting the season at 3-5. The Wildcats’ 3-5 start was largely due to the absence junior forward Maddy Siegrist Six games were missed by a player who sustained an injury. Villanova recorded a mark of 3-3 in those six games. This year, the Wildcats are 9-3 with Siegrist.
Siegrist scored 30 points in the win over Creighton last Sunday for the third and eleventh times in her career. She scored 31 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in 38 minutes. She shot 8 of 15, including 3-of-4 from three, and 12-of-14 from the foul line.
The freshman guard is playing for the third time in her young professional career. Lucy Olsen In Friday’s victory over Butler, 10 points were enough to reach double figures. The 10-points were scored on four of eight shooting, with a 3-of-3 effort from three and a 1-of-2 effort from the foul line. Olsen averages 6.4 points per games and leads the team with 48 assists.
Villanova will be back in action Friday, February 4, when the Wildcats head to New York to face the St. John’s Red Storm. Tip-off will take place at 2 p.m.
