Villanova University

Dec. 30, 1999

Villanova, Pa.--- On Thursday, Dec. 30, in the championship game of the PNC Wildcat Christmas Classic held in The Pavilion at Villanova University, the Villanova women's basketball team defeated Mt. St. Mary's, 74-55, to win the tournament title for the first time since the 1995-96 season. With the victory, the Wildcats went over the .500 mark for the season with a 6-5 record, while the Mountaineers fell to 5-4 overall with the loss.

The game was tight early on and Mt. St. Mary's held a slim 17-15 lead at the 7:51 mark, before Villanova went on a 7-0 run in the next 2:06 to claim a 22-17 advantage. Freshman guard Trish Juhline scored five points during that time span to spark the Wildcats. The Mountaineers reclaimed the lead at 25-24 just minutes later, but a free throw by Villanova senior forward Jenea Skeeters with less than a second left in the half tied the game up at 25-25 heading into intermission. Juhline led the `Cats with seven points in the first half, while Barnes and junior guard Lauren Pellicane each added six. Mt. St. Mary's forward Kia Williams led all scorers with 11 points in the first half.

With the score tied at 30-30 less than two minutes into the second frame, Villanova caught fire and outscored the Mountaineers 28-10 over the next 9:44 to open up a commanding 58-40 advantage. Barnes scored nine points for the `Cats during their run, while Pellicane hit her fourth and fifth three-pointers of the contest. Villanova would stretch its lead to as much as 21 points, and Skeeters scored eight of her team-high 18 points down the stretch as the Wildcats went on for the 74-55 victory.

Skeeters finished the game just three assists shy of a triple-double, as she tallied 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Skeeters, along with Juhline, would earn All-Tournament honors. Juhline registered 17 points on the night, shooting six-of-14 from the field. Most Valuable Player honors went to Barnes, who dominated the paint going seven-of-eight from the field for a season-high 15 points. Also scoring in double-figures for Villanova was Pellicane who added 15 points on five-for-seven shooting from the three points stripe.

Leading Mt. St. Mary's in a losing effort was forward Deanna Butters. Butters scored a game-high 20 points, while Williams added 15 and guard Vera Feldbusch added 14 points for the Mountaineers. Both Butters and Williams garnered All-Tournament accolades.

In the Thursday's Consolation game, Fresno State rolled over Drexel 66-47, behind 18 points and 17 rebounds from center Tiffany Lewis. The Bulldogs of Fresno improved to 6-5 with the win, while the Dragons fell to 4-6. With Fresno State owning a 40-28 lead at the 16:24 mark of the second half, the Bulldogs went on a 15-4 run over the next 8:20 to take a 55-32 advantage. Forward Omelogo Udeze keyed the Fresno State spurt with four points, as the Bulldogs went on for a 66-47 victory. Lewis' 18 points and 17 boards earned her All-Tournament honors for Fresno. Center Meghan McIntyre and guard Steph Frysinger led Drexel with 12 points each.

PNC Wildcat Christmas Classic MVP:

Brandi Barnes, Villanova

All-Tournament Team:

Jenea Skeeters, Villanova

Trish Juhline, Villanova,

Deanna Butters, Mt. St. Mary's

Tiffany Lewis, Fresno State