In its Big East opener, Villanova defeated No. 12 Creighton, 68-66, in overtime.
The win improves the Wildcats to 8-4 on the season and 1-0 in Big East play. Redshirt senior forward Eric Dixon led all scorers with 32 points, while graduate guard Hakim Hart pitched in 10 bench points.
Coming off a strong victory against UCLA, Villanova was trending in the right direction. After 11 days off, the Wildcats opened conference play with one of their toughest matchups of the season.
After building a 6-3 lead in the early minutes, Villanova fell flat, allowing Creighton to go on a 15-4 run. The run put the Bluejays up 18-10 with 10 minutes remaining in the first half.
The ‘Cats couldn’t keep up with the Bluejay offense the rest of the half. Villanova fell behind 34-24 as time expired in the first.
The lead only expanded in the second half. Creighton pushed it to a game-high 14 point deficit. However, the ‘Cats started to claw their way back midway through the second half, turning the game around. Strong defense and an aggressive offense allowed Villanova to cut the lead down.
With four minutes remaining, junior guard Jordan Longino made a layup off a Dixon assist to tie the game at 56. Only two points were scored on each side the rest of the half, sending the game to overtime at a score of 58-58.
Overtime was more of the same as the two squads traded baskets. The Wildcats found themselves down a point with 30 seconds to go after a jump ball that almost resulted in a Hakim Hart turnover.
A designed inbounds play found Dixon in the corner for a contested three that he hit. The three made the score 68-66. Villanova was primed for a win if it could hold Creighton on defense.
Graduate forward Tyler Burton had two different opportunities to ice the game at the free-throw line, but missed both times, giving possessions to the Bluejays.
The game came down to a last second three-point heave from Creighton senior guard Baylor Scheierman. His shot fell short and the Wildcats came away with the victory.
It was the ‘Cats’ first Big East win in their first Big East game of the year. It’s crucial that the Wildcats showed that they can still compete with the best teams in their conference, something they struggled with last year.
The ‘Cats continue their Big East slate and their road trip with a matchup at DePaul (2-8) on Saturday, Dec. 23.
