Wildcats Ease Past Marquette 72-58 :: Viani leads five players in double figures with 17 points

Jan. 25, 2006

VILLANOVA, Pa. - Five different players scored in double figures and Villanova (12-6, 3-4 Big East) pulled away in the second half to earn a 72-58 victory over Marquette (13-5, 4-3 BE). Senior guard Jenna Viani (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) and senior center Kate Dessart Mager (Media, Pa.) scored nine points in a 14-3 run during the final period that turned a three-point lead into a 60-45 advantage with under six minutes remaining.

Viani made 5-of-6 shots and scored 14 of her points to help key 55 percent (17-of-31) shooting by the Wildcats in the second half. The Golden Eagles had used an 11-3 run to trim a 43-31 deficit to 46-42 with 9:49 remaining, but Villanova closed the door after that point and won for the sixth time in its last seven home games.

Dessart Mager finished the evening with 13 points and a career-high 13 rebounds, nearly half of the Wildcat total of 29. Senior guard Betsy McManus (Pearl River, N.Y.) scored a career-high 16 points, dished out seven assists and had three steals, while junior forward Jackie Adamshick (Allentown, Pa.) contributed 13 points and six rebounds.

Christina Quaye led Marquette with 19 points, while Jasmine McCullough and Svetlana Kovalenko scored 10 points apiece. Carolyn Kieger handed out a game-high eight assists for the Golden Eagles.

Villanova opened the second half on a 13-4 spurt and stretched a three-point halftime lead (30-27) to 12 points in the first five minutes of the decisive stanza. However, after a three-pointer by senior guard Courtney Roantree (Philadelphia, Pa.) at the 13:35 mark, the Wildcats went scoreless for nearly five minutes while Marquette narrowed the gap. However, the Golden Eagles missed six of seven shots in a key six minute stretch and Villanova led 60-45 with 5:38 left.

For the third time this season - including the second time in the last three games - the Wildcats registered more than 20 assists, finishing with 23 helpers on the evening. In addition to McManus with seven, Viani and senior forward Liad Suez-Karni (Even-Yehuda, Israel) each had five assists. Villanova also turned the ball over just nine times, and is averaging a mere 7.3 turnovers per game in its last four outings.

Wildcat head coach Harry Perretta missed the game due to an illness. He is expected to return to the sidelines on Saturday afternoon when Villanova hosts Pittsburgh at 2:00 p.m.

NOTES: Roantree scored 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting from the field, including 2-of-2 three-pointers ... Her two field goals from inside the three-point arc were her first 2-point attempts of the season ... She is shooting 52.0 percent (13-of-25) from the field this season, including 11-of-23 from three-point range ... The Wildcats had a season-high 26 assists in an 85-51 win over Penn on December 4 ... Villanova is 4-1 this season when at least four players score in double figures ... That mark includes three of the past four games.