The Guru’s WBIT Report: Villanova Second Half Collapse on Offense and Defense Enables Illinois to Win NCAA’s First Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

After using a No. 1 seed to win three home games and then turn aside Penn State in the semifinals of the NCAA’s new 32-team Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament, the road turned against Villanova in the second half of the championship Wednesday night, the Wildcats falling to another Big Ten representative, Illinois 71-57, at Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Three of the No. 1 seeds — teams that were the first out of the NCAA field of 68 — got to Indianapolis but Illinois (19-15) made it all the way through as a fourth seed.

“Obviously something both teams wanted, fought for it, and yeah, it was a tough night for us on the floor but extremely proud of our group for the effort they put forth throughout the season, especially the run here in the WBIT.”

Villanova did have the satisfaction of a revenge win on three-seed Saint Joseph’s in the third game at the Wildcats’ Finneran Pavilion to decide which would advance to Hinkle after the Hawks had beaten the Wildcats in December at Hagan Arena on the way to a sweep to the Big Five Title.

Lucy Olsen, who will finish third in the nation in scoring behind Iowa’s scoring star Caitlin Clark and Southern Cal’s impressive freshman JuJu Watkins, a year after the Wildcats’ Maddy Siegrist led the nation, had 22 points but she was basically shut down in the second half. Bella Runyon had 11 points.

“Yeah, it didn’t end how we wanted but I think it was a fun run. We played well together as a team,” Olsen said. “We just kept getting better. I wish we could have ended on a win.

“Hopefully next year we’ll have a little more anger and want to come out even stronger. Yeah, it was a good run.”

Blowing several leads on the non-conference slate late in games, upset losses to Butler at home and Providence on the road, plus a two-point loss to Marquette in the Big East quarterfinals after sweeping the season series cost Villanova from a third-straight NCAA appearance after being a top 16 seed in 2023 and advancing to the Sweet 16.

But once the WBIT field was announced, Villanova underwent a revitalization.

“We felt so connected,” Runyon said. “This might have been like the most fun I’ve had in my four years. Like was this run, just seeing the growth that started throughout this tournament.”

Illinois’ Makira Cook had 27 points fueled by 5-6 on 3-point attempts, Genesis Bryant scored 17, while Kendall Bostic had 15 points and 15 rebounds, and Camille Hobby had eight points and 10 rebounds.

The winners dominated the boards 45-27.

A game of swings in the first half had the Philly contingent (22-13) of the Big East and Big Five get to the break with a slim 32-29 lead. 

Then the Illini burst out of the locker room on a 16-2 run to go up 45-34 before Brynn McCurry hit a shot from deep to stop the Villanova drought.

Runyon’s three got the deficit to six at 48-42 with 1:30 left in the third period.

Then a pair of points were exchanged on Camille Hobby’s layup for Illinois and two foul shots at the end of the third quarter from Olsen, who set a junior class record at Villanova with 815 points and after a dynamic improvement in scoring following Siegrist’s graduation and move to the WNBA and now has 1,504 career points, good for ninth on the all-time Wildcats’ list.

Villanova after Olsen’s two from the line got stone cold on offense not scoring until Kaitlyn Orihel’s three-pointer with 6:27 left in regulation while the defense broke down allowing the opposition to bolt to a 58-44 lead before Orihel’s shot.

It never got close the rest of the way.

“It’s extremely important to continue to make postseason play, especially after a little run we had last year, the year before, with March Madness and the Sweet 16 last year and this group with high expectations of themselves,” Dillon said.

“You look at it, you had some pieces that you thought you were bringing in, an injury affected us early, and made those adjustments and then affected us late,” she continued.

“But as I said, when you have high expectations and high standards, based off of the history of women’s basketball and of course the unprecedented run of our men’s program, you see what Villanova basketball is capable of, and that’s why the standard is is high and the expectation is high, so these players are here with us.

“You heard them. They are going to play for the program and and play with each other and do whatever they can to advance in postseason play and we are going to continue to work to get a championship.”

COMPLETE WBIT RESULTS

 

VILLANOVA QUAD

FIRST ROUND (Thurs: 3-21-24 ESPN+)

7 p.m.

VCU (26-6F) at No.1 Villanova (19-12) W:75-60

7 p.m.

High Point (20-112F) at No. 4 Virginia (16-15) W:81-59

 

SECOND ROUND (Sun: 3-24-24 ESPN+)

2 p.m.

No. 4 Virginia (16-16F) at No. 1 Villanova (20-12) W:73-55

 

FIRST ROUND (Thurs: 3-21-24 ESPN+)

7 p.m.

Seton Hall (17-15F) at No. 3 Saint Joseph’s (27-5) W:54-47

10 p.m.

Hawaii (20-11F) at No. 2 California (19-14) W:65-60

 

SECOND ROUND (Sun: 3-24-24 ESPN+)

4 p.m.

No. 3 Saint Joseph’s (28-5) W:63-61 at No. 2 California (19-15F) 

 

THIRD ROUND (THURS: 3-28-28 ESPN+)

7 p.m.

No. 3 Saint Joseph’s (28-6) at No. 1 Villanova (21-12) W:67-59

 

 

PENN STATE QUAD

 

FIRST ROUND (Thurs: 3-21-24 ESPN+)

6 p.m.

George Mason (23-8) at No. 1 Penn State (20-12) W:84-80 ovt.

4 p.m.

Belmont (26-8) W: 77-59 at No. 4 Ball State (28-6F)

 

SECOND ROUND (Mon: 3-25-24 ESPN+)

6 p.m.

Belmont (26-9F) at No. 1Penn State (21-12) W:74-66

 

FIRST ROUND (Thurs: 3-21-24 ESPN+)

7:30 p.m.

North Texas (23-9F) at No. 3 TCU (21-11) W:67-58

7:30 p.m.

Georgia Tech (17-16) at No. 2 Mississippi State (22-11) W:84-47

 

SECOND ROUND (Sun: 3-24-24 ESPN+)

3 p.m.

No. 3 TCU (21-12F) at No. 2 Mississippi State (23-11) W: 68-61

 

THIRD ROUND (Thurs: 3-28-24 ESPN+)

6 p.m.

No. 2 Mississippi State (23-12F) at No. 1 Penn State (22-12) W:92-87

 

JAMES MADISON QUAD

 

FIRST ROUND (Thurs: 3-21-24 ESPN+)

7 p.m.

Stony Brook (28-4) W:81-70 at No. 1 James Madison (23-12F)

7 p.m.

Missouri State (23-10F) at No. 4 Illinois (15-15) W:74-69

 

SECOND ROUND (Sun: 3-24-24 ESPN+)

3 p.m.

Stony Brook (28-5F) at No. 4 Illinois (16-15) W:79-62

 

FIRST ROUND (Thurs: 3-21-24 ESPN+)

7:30 p.m.

Arkansas (18-15F) at No. 3 Tulsa (24-9) W:80-62

10 p.m.

Georgetown (23-11) W:64-56 at No. 2 Washington (16-15F)

 

SECOND ROUND (Sun: 3-24-24 ESPN+)

3 p.m.

Georgetown (23-12F) at No. 3 Tulsa (25-9) W:73-61

 

THIRD ROUND (Thurs: 3-28-24 ESPN+)

7:30 p.m.

No. 4 Illinois (17-15) W:69-61 at No. 3 Tulsa (25-10F)

 

WASHINGTON STATE QUAD

9 p.m.

FIRST ROUND (Thurs: 3-21-24 ESPN+)

9 p.m.

Lamar (24-7F) at No. 1 Washington State (19-14) W:66-46

9 p.m.

BYU (16-17) at No. 4 Santa Clara (25-8) W:60-59

 

SECOND ROUND (Sun: 3-24-24 ESPN+)

4 p.m.

No. 4 Santa Clara (25-9F) at No. 1 Washington State (20-14) W:73-47

 

FIRST ROUND (Thurs: 3-21-24 ESPN+)

7 p.m.

St. John’s (18-14) W:79-60 at No. 3 Florida (16-16F)

7 p.m.

Cleveland State (29-6F) at No. 2 Toledo (27-5) W:76-68

 

SECOND ROUND (Sun: 3-24-24 ESPN+)

2 p.m.

St. John’s (18-15F) at No. 2 Toledo (28-5) W:72-71

 

THIRD ROUND (Thurs: 3-28-24 ESPN+)

9 p.m.

No.2 Toledo (28-6F) at No. 1 Washington State (21-14) W:63-61

 

NATIONAL SEMIFINALS

Monday, April 1

Hinkle Fieldhouse

Indianapolis, Indiana

2:30 p.m. ESPNU

No. 1 Villanova (22-12) W: 58-53 vs. No. 1 Penn State (22-13F)

4:30 p.m. ESPNU 

No. 1 Washington State (21-15F) vs. No. 4 Illinois (18-15) W:81-58

 

Championship

Wednesday, April 3

7 p.m. ESPN2

No. 1 Villanova (22-13F) vs No. 4 Illinois (19-15) W:71-57