VILLANOVA, PA. 2/17/2017 – When the Villanova Wildcats played the Xavier Musketeers in January, the Wildcats won comfortably. This game was much more competitive, much more. It took fifty minutes to complete. Villanova behind a career-high 33 points by sophomore guard Adrianna Hahn was able to survive and win in double overtime 76 – 71 at the Pavilion. Hahn scored all 11 points for her team in the second extra period. The Cats found a way to get the win.
“It was tough, very nerve wracking,” said Hahn. “We made a lot of clutch shots and it shows how much we’ve built as a team. We didn’t give up, Harry (Perretta) kept us motivated and we stayed in it.”
Points were going to be at a premium as each team went through scoring droughts. The points became very important over the last minute of regulation. Xavier took a 55 – 53 lead on a layup by guard Raeshaun Gaffney with 57 seconds on the clock. Xavier guard made one of two free throws with a half minute left to extend the lead to 56 – 53. That left the door open for Villanova. Megan Quinn missed a three-pointer, but Alex Louin got the rebound. Her follow shot missed, but Samantha Wilkes was there to get the ball. Wilkes passed the ball back to Louin who could not convert the jumper. But Louin followed her shot and found Hahn behind the line. Hahn tied it at 56 with a three-pointer at the 12.6 mark, and there would be more basketball to be played.
“I felt like we were lucky in spurts,” said Villanova Coach Harry Perretta. “We missed layups that would have put us down one, then we get a kick-out three and tie it.”
The teams traded the lead in the first overtime. The Musketeers took a 64 – 63 lead with 53.7 to play as forward Madsion Blackwell made two from the line. As the clock wound down to 7.2 seconds Gaffney went to the stripe, and made the first, missed the second, and the door was ajar for the Wildcats. On the ensuing play Louin went coast to coast and tied the game with a layup as 1.8 seconds showed on the clock. Xavier set up a play for the last shot. Blackwell had a good look, but the ball went around the rim and out forcing another five minutes of play.
“We ran our panic-two play and Alex (Louin) gets to the hoop, then we get the game in double overtime,” said Perretta. “Then Adrianna took over in the second overtime.”
This game was the second double overtime game at the Pavilion in women’s basketball. Hahn provided the offense. In the last minute and a half she converted 5 of 6 free throws, and a dagger three-ball with just under a minute to play gave Nova a 73 – 67 lead.
“Once we were up three and I hit the three moving it to six, then I felt it wasn’t going into a third overtime,” Hahn said.
Xavier had three players score in double figures led by Gaffney with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Marquia Turner and Kindell Fincher contributed 14 points.
Hahn made 10 of 21 shots, 7 of 14 from three-point land, and she made 6 of 8 free throws. Alex Louin filled the stat sheet for Villanova scoring 18 points, grabbing a career-best 11 rebounds, had a team-high 4 assists, and 2 blocked shots. Megan Quin recorded a double-double, her third of the season, with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Wilkes grabbed 10 boards to set a career-high.
Villanova improves to 15 – 11 on the season and is 10 – 5 in the Big East where they hold on to fourth place. Senior Day is Sunday where they face Butler.
Written By: Glenn Papazian
Contact: Glenn@PhillyCollegeSports.com
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