On a night when neither team ever really got on track offensively, Villanova (2-0, 1-0 Big Five) hit six three-pointers in the second half and defeated Penn (0-2, 0-1 Big Five) by a 44-28 final score on Wednesday night at The Pavilion in the lowest scoring game (by combined points) the team has played in more than three decades. It was the home opener and Big Five opener for the Wildcats, who have allowed just 77 points combined in their first two games.
In the middle of the second half, a three-pointer by senior guard Maria Getty (Centerville, Ohio) and three minutes later a layup by junior center Heather Scanlon (Drexel Hill, Pa.) helped Villanova take a 30-17 lead with 10:57 remaining. The Quakers never got closer than eight points the rest of the way and the Wildcats stretched the final margin by scoring the game's last five points.
Penn endured a stretch in which it made just two field goals in a span of just 12 minutes. The Quakers were scoreless for the last 7:59 of the first half and finally ended their drought at the 18:45 mark of the second half.
Getty led all players with 15 points - including making three of the team's seven three-pointers - and matched game-highs with four assists and three steals, while redshirt freshman forward Megan Pearson (West Chester, Pa.) chipped in 11 points and six rebounds while also recording three steals. For the second straight game, Villanova tallied 13 steals and tonight forced Penn into 21 turnovers.
The Quakers were limited to 31.7 percent (13-of-41) shooting from the field in the game, made 1-of-7 three-pointers (14.3%) and hit 1-of-5 (20%) free throws. It was the second straight trip to the Pavilion in which Penn scored fewer than 30 points. Back on December 1, 2007, the Wildcats dealt the Quakers a 66-26 loss in the building.
Penn's only three-pointer of the game was the first basket of the night, as Caroline Nicholson hit from long distance just 28 seconds after tip-off. The Quakers benefited from a slow start by Villanova and held a lead of between one and three points for the first 16 minutes of the game. In that stretch, the Wildcats went 3-of-14 from the field and committed 10 turnovers.
With 3:52 left in the opening period, Getty hit a three-pointer to tie the score at 11-11 and junior forward Amanda Swiezynski (Exeter, N.H.) made her only basket of the game at the 3:22 mark to give Villanova its first lead of the night at 13-11. The Wildcats never trailed again.
Scanlon had a game-high nine rebounds and also had three steals for Villanova.
Jerin Smith had 12 points and nine boards for Penn and was the only player on her team with more than five points.
