Villanova has shown its ability to stand up against nationally ranked teams this season, but No. 10 Marquette proved too much for Villanova, overpowering the Wildcats 87-74 on Friday night in Milwaukee.
The defeat was the widest losing margin of the season yet for Villanova (12-9, 5-5 Big East), while Marquette (17-3, 8-1) maintained its top position in the conference.
Senior guard Jordan Longino was the highlight of the night for Villanova, scoring a career-high 27 points. Longino shot 42.1% from the field and 33.3% from three. He was also 9-for-12 from the foul line.
Marquette senior guard Stevie Mitchell led the Golden Eagles with 21 points and four rebounds.
A major part of Marquette’s success on the night was its ability to defend graduate forward Eric Dixon. Dixon went into the game as the nation’s leading scorer, with 24.9 points per game. He scored 18 points against the Golden Eagles, with just three in the first half.
“[Marquette] did a good job of doing what they do,” Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune said. “They attacked [Dixon], were physical with him in the post, took away space and were aggressive. I thought they set the tone that way.”
The Golden Eagles also dominated the turnover battle. Villanova committed 13 turnovers across the game, while Marquette allowed just six.
It was an uncharacteristic night for Villanova from the start. Sophomore guard Tyler Perkins filled senior guard Wooga Poplar’s place in the starting five after Poplar was ejected following a technical foul in Villanova’s previous game against Georgetown on Jan. 20.
Poplar entered the game six minutes and 34 seconds into play. He went on to score eight points and grabbed six rebounds. His time on the court was also limited due to piling up four fouls.
The Golden Eagles broke off to an early lead, while the Wildcats only made five of their first 20 shots. With nine minutes and 20 seconds left in the first half, Marquette had a 20-12 lead.
Longino accounted for half of Villanova’s scoreboard in the first half, scoring 13 points.
In a slow offensive first half for the Wildcats, the Golden Eagles limited them to 38.4% shooting from the field and 35.7% from the long range.
With freshman Royce Parham’s buzzer-beater three, Marquette went into the halftime break holding a 36-26 lead.
Any attempts for Villanova to make a comeback run in the second half went unsuccessful. A pair of free throws by Longino put the Wildcats within six with just over nine minutes left to play, but Villanova was unable to close the margin further.
Villanova will have a midweek bye to reset before taking on another top Big East opponent. The Wildcats host Creighton at the Wells Fargo Center on Feb. 1 (1 p.m., FOX). The Bluejays (13-6, 6-2) are tied for second in the conference, while the Wildcats stand in fourth.
