On Wednesday, Feb. 26, graduate forward Eric Dixon led Villanova to a 59-54 win over Seton Hall.
Dixon led all scorers with 32 points and 10 rebounds, carrying Villanova (16-12, 9-8 Big East) to a win over the Pirates (7-21, 2-15) despite trailing by 16 points early in the second half.
Senior guard Wooga Poplar’s double-double was also key to the win. Poplar scored 12 points and grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds, while going 5-for-5 from the foul line.
The game began with Seton Hall scoring off a three and forcing an early turnover.
It turned into a lethargic first half for Villanova. The Wildcats went the final nine minutes of the first half without a field goal. They scored just 21 first-half points, their lowest of the season.
By the first media timeout, four of Villanova’s five starters had scored, holding a narrow 10-9 lead.
But with 10:37 to play in the first half, the Pirates had hit their last five attempts from the field and led the Wildcats 19-13.
Seton Hall senior guard Dylan Addae-Awasu was instrumental in growing the lead. With six minutes left in the half, he had 16 points. He finished the game with 18.
Amid Villanova’s nine-minute scoring drought, Seton Hall took a 12-point lead with 3:23 to play in the half. It marked the Pirate’s largest lead in conference play this season.
Dixon gave Villanova its only points for the rest of the half from the foul line. At halftime, the Wildcats trailed, 33-21.
Come the second half, the tables had turned as the Pirates went on an eight-minute scoring drought, allowing the Wildcats to go on a 17-0 run of their own.
A Dixon three with 8:09 left in the game gave the Wildcats their first lead since early in the first half. Dixon scored the last 12 points of Villanova’s scoring run.
With less than six minutes to play, the Pirates implemented their full-court press and forced Villanova into a timeout. They were able to trim the lead to one with just over a minute to go.
Dixon went one for two from the line, but a miss from Addae-Awasu sent Poplar to the line shortly after. Poplar converted on all four of his free throws during the final minute.
Brickus was then sent to the line, and completed two shots to seal the win for the Wildcats.
In 14 days, Villanova will take the court at Madison Square Garden for the Big East Tournament.
Two regular games remain before the conference tournament. Wednesday’s win likely keeps Villanova in the NCAA tournament bubble. On Tuesday, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi listed Villanova as seven spots removed from the field of 68.
Up next for the Wildcats is the regular season finale at Finneran Pavilion. The Wildcats will take on Butler (noon, FS1). The Bulldogs (13-15, 6-11) are currently tied with Providence for eighth in the Big East.
