Cold Second Quarter Too Much to Overcome for DePaul at Villanova

Saturday, January 31

Villanova, Pa.

1:00 PM

DePaul University

5-19,2-11Big East

Villanova

17-5,10-3Big East

DePaul

Villanova

Cold Second Quarter Too Much to Overcome for DePaul at Villanova

1/31/2026 3:13:00 PM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Devin Hagemann led DePaul with 14 points

VILLANOVA, Pa. – DePaul women's basketball couldn't overcome a second quarter in which it was held to five points in a 69–56 setback to Villanova Saturday afternoon at Finneran Pavilion. The Blue Demons mounted a late rally, trimming the deficit to a pair of possessions on two occasions in the fourth quarter, but couldn't complete the comeback as the Wildcats closed out the contest on an 11-4 run.

Sophomore guard Devin Hagemann led the offensive effort for the Blue Demons with her third double-digit scoring performance in the last five games with a team-high 14 points. Natiah Nelson added 10 points on 71-percent shooting from the field for her 10th game in double figures this season.

Graduate forward Michelle Ojo added seven points and matched her season-high with eight rebounds while Kate Novik also chipped in seven points, five assists and four rebounds.

Villanova (17-5, 10-3 BIG EAST) owned a 40-22 edge in points in the paint. DePaul totaled double-digit steals for the ninth time this season and second-straight game with 12 takeaways on the evening.

Jasmine Basoce led Villanova with a game-high 27 points while Ryanne Allen added 17 points of her own.

How It Happened
After the Blue Demons scored the first two baskets of the game, Villanova responded with three straight to claim its first lead. Ojo's layup knotted the game at 10 before the Wildcats used an 8–0 run to jump in front, 18–10. Mayo drained a triple with under a minute remaining in the period to make it 20–15 after the first frame.

DePaul (5-19, 2-11 BIG EAST) was held scoreless for six minutes in the second quarter as Villanova expanded its lead to 31–17 before Mayo's second three-pointer of the game snapped the Blue Demons' drought. The Wildcats carried a 33–20 advantage into the intermission.

Hagemann's fast-break triple trimmed DePaul's deficit to nine with 6:01 remaining in the third. Trailing by as many as 16 in the stanza, the Blue Demons chipped away behind buckets from four different players to make it 49–38 heading into the fourth quarter.

Back-to-back buckets from West and Novik to open the period pulled DePaul within six, 49–43, but the Wildcats answered with a 7–0 run to push the margin back to double digits. A bucket and foul drawn by Novik brought it back to six at the 4:27 mark, but that was as close as the Blue Demons would get as Villanova closed the game on an 11–4 spurt.

Up Next
DePaul returns home to host top-ranked UConn on National Girls and Women in Sports Day Wednesday, Feb. 4. Tipoff from Wintrust Arena is set for 7 p.m. CT with the game airing on TruTV.

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Ticket Information
Season tickets for the 2025-26 DePaul women's basketball season are on sale now, starting at just $115. Season ticket holders receive access to every game at Wintrust Arena and exclusive benefits! Secure your seats today at DePaulBlueDemons.com/Tickets. Group ticket options are also available now for parties of 10 or more, making it easy to bring your team, company or friends to a game. Explore all group ticket options at DePaulBlueDemons.com/Groups.