Siegrist scores 50, lifts ’Nova past Seton Hall
No. 15 Villanova 99, Seton Hall 65: Maddy Siegrist scored a career-high 50 points to become the Big East Conference’s career regular-season scoring leader and host Villanova (22-4, 13-2 Big East) routed Seton Hall (15-10, 8-7) on Saturday.
With 1,550 conference regular season points, Siegrist surpassed former Boston College standout Sarah Behn’s (1989-93) 1,546 points. Siegrist also broke the previous single-game Villanova program record of 44 points set by Shelly Pennefather.
Siegrist shot a smoldering 76.9% making 20 of 26 shot attempts. She grabbed 10 rebounds and did not commit a single foul or turnover.
Maddie Burke scored 12 points for Villanova, which shot 38 for 59 (64.4%).
Sidney Cooks scored 21 for Seton Hall and Lauren Park-Lane 20.
Cooks’ basket with 6:17 before halftime to knot it at 25-all. In response, Siegrist made a layup with 4:53 before intermission and Villanova erupted on a 17-3 run to all but seal it for a 42-28 advantage at the break. Siegrist scored eight and Burke scored seven during the run.
Siegrist scored 22 by halftime and picked up where she left after the break with a layup and a 3-pointer off a Seton Hall turnover to give the Wildcats their first 20-point lead of the contest at 4928. She scored 15 in the third.
Seton Hall hosts DePaul on Monday.
Villanova heads to New York to face St. John’s on Wednesday.
No. 23 Gonzaga 63, Portland 53: Kaylynne Truong scored 20 points to lead host Gonzaga (23-3, 13-1 West Coast Conference) to a win over Portland (18-7, 12-2) to snap a first-place with the Pilots on a Saturday when the Bulldogs retired the jersey of Courtney Vandersloot.
Truong made 4 of 8 3-point tries including one with four minutes left to give the Bulldogs an 11-point lead that Truong stretched to 13 with a pair of free throws.
Brynna Maxwell kept her streak alive of making a 3-pointer in every game this season with two makes and 13 points. Yvonne Ejim and McKayla Williams added 11 points each. Gonzaga finished 7 of 21 from the arc, 6 of 13 in the second half.
Alex Fowler and Maisie Burnham scored 13 points each for the Pilots, who had a six-game win streak snapped.
After a ragged first half that ended with Portland leading 19-18, Gonzaga outscored the Pilots 27-15 in the third quarter with a stretch that included seven straight makes.
Neither team reached 34% shooting in the first half when the teams combined to go 2 of 17 from the arc.
Portland’s only two WCC losses have come against Gonzaga, which has won six straight over the Pilots.
Gonzaga is host to Pacific and Portland is home against Saint Mary’s, both games on Thursday.