VILLANOVA, PA. 1/31/2020 – The Villanova Wildcats defeated the Red Storm of St. John’s for the second time this season, both in overtime. The game was not decided until a last second shot by Red Storm guard Qadashah Hoppie fell short giving the Wildcats a 66 – 64 win at the Finn.
“We won the game at the three-point line,” said Villanova Coach Harry Perretta. “They had more field goals than we had. We won the game by making more three’s.”
Villanova snared the victory on the offensive end of the floor making 10 of 22 from distance, compared to 2 of 17 by St. John’s. In the extra five minutes Villanova converted two critical three-pointers. Raven James drained a three for the first basket of the overtime putting the Wildcats in front. With just under a minute and a half remaining Cameron Onken hit one from beyond the arc to give Nova a 64 – 60 lead.
“I know Mary (Gedaka) and Maddy (Siegrist) played great, you have to give them credit,” Perretta said. “We won the game because Raven hit two three’s, Cameron Onken hit a three. The other kids contributed by scoring the ball. That was the only way we could win the game is by making three’s and having the other kids contribute.”
St.John’s fought back getting to within 65 – 64 with 18 seconds to play, but Maddy Siegrist made a free throw setting up the final possession. The Red Storm had two shots by Hoppie, one with five seconds left and one at the horn, but both missed.
Siegrist scored the last five Wildcats points in regulation. She had a three-point play at the 2:03 mark, then a basket with just over three seconds sent the game into overtime at 56. Ironically, it was the same score at the end of regulation in the game in New York.
“We were trying to post her up,” said Perretta. “We felt that she had a mismatch, and if we could get her the ball and they helped, we could get an open shot from one of the other kids.”
Siegrist finished the game with a game-high 22 points, her 11th twenty-point game of the season.
Mary Gedaka added 16 points and 13 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. Onken had 9 points and James scored 7. Sam Carangi added 8 points.
Alissa Alston led the Red Storm with 21 points. Alisha Kibbe, a graduate of Newmann-Goretti High School in Philadelphia, recorded a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds. Hoppie scored 10 points.
With the win the Wildcats improve to 6 – 4 in the Big East and are in a four-way tie fourth spot in the standings along with the Red Storm. Creighton and Seton Hall are the other teams sharing fourth place in the standings, one game behind a two-team tie for second place (Marquette and Butler). The Pirates of Seton Hall visit Villanova on Sunday.
“I’m not even thinking about that,” Perretta said about the standings. “We have to be happy to win any game. We’re not thinking about standings. We’re just trying to take one game at a time, try to play the best we can, and try to steal as many wins as we can.”
Written By: Glenn Papazian
Contact: Glenn@PhillyCollegeSports.com
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