Feb. 12, 2008

Box Score |  Notes

VILLANOVA, Pa. - Juniors Laura Kurz (Lower Gwynedd, Pa.) and Siobhan O'Connor (West Chester, Pa.) contributed career high scoring outputs and Villanova (14-10, 4-7 Big East) swept the season series against Providence (11-12, 1-9 Big East) with a 72-59 victory on Tuesday evening at the Pavilion.

The Wildcats endured a long offensive draught that spanned both halves but recovered in plenty of time to shoot their way past the Friars from beyond the three-point arc. O'Connor and junior Lisa Karcic (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) scored six points apiece during a 17-3 run in just four minutes in the second half. That spurt changed a 33-31 Providence lead - the visiting team's only advantage of the game - into a 48-36 margin with 10:58 remaining.

Villanova eventually stretched its lead to as many as 18 points before settling on the final margin and claiming its second straight win. The Wildcats had defeated the Friars, 70-50, last month in Providence.

Kurz scored 33 points and O'Connor 18 to lead Villanova. Kurz was 12-of-18 from the field and hit five three-pointers, while O'Connor shot 5-of-8 (all from long distance). The Wildcats wound up making 15-of-33 triples in the game and registered double figures in made three-pointers for the third straight contest.

Emily Cournoyer came off the bench to shoot 10-of-13 and score 22 points for Providence, which also got 18 points from Kendria Holmes. The Friars committed just nine turnovers and made a furious late attempt to trim a double-digit margin. Of the 14 fouls whistled against Providence in the game, 11 came in the final 1:38.

The game got off to a fast start for Villanova and the Wildcats ran out to a 29-14 lead with 8:07 left in the opening period. From that point on, however, Villanova endured a stretch of 13:09 in which it scored just two points. After the Wildcats took a 31-16 lead with 2:32 left in the opening half, the Friars scored 17 unanswered points to go ahead 33-31 with 15:19 to play in the game.

Providence had scored the first 11 points of the second half at that point but the short-lived lead proved to be its only one of the game. Villanova started its run on a basket by Kurz with 14:58 remaining and hit 6-of-7 from the field during its big run to pull away.

Villanova returns to action at home on Saturday at 2 p.m. when it hosts Cincinnati.