Cats drop to 2-3 after 81-79 loss to Iowa State

Things started off well enough for the ‘Cats, who after trading baskets through the first three minutes saw Eric Dixon go on a personal 9-0 run to take a 12-7. A pair of free throws from Caleb Daniels extended the lead to 14-7, and the ‘Cats eventually found themselves with a 17-9 advantage just over six minutes into the game.

That lead quickly evaporated thanks to a 10-0 spurt from the Cyclones. ‘Nova stopped that run with 10:47 to play in the half, only to see Iowa State rip off another seven straight points to take its biggest lead of the game.

‘Nova responded, and while the teams again traded blows a bit down the stretch, the Wildcats were able to chip away at the Iowa State advantage and head into halftime even at 34.

It was pretty obvious what Villanova’s issues were in the first half. The ‘Cats committed 10 turnovers leading to 12 Iowa State points (a 12-2 advantage in that category) and the Cyclones built an 8-0 edge in second chance points off six offensive rebounds. Some quick math shows that 20 of the Iowa State’s 34 points came from turnovers and second chances. ‘Nova was kept afloat by much improved three-point shooting (7-15) and a four-point edge from the free throw line.

The most concerning thing was that it was pretty clear entering the game that defensive rebounding and taking care of the ball would be keys to Thursday’s game and Villanova failed to control either area.

“The way they play is pretty unique,” coach Neptune said. “We haven’t gone against that yet this year, it’s tough to simulate in practice. I think it took us a while to get settled in. It definitely discombobulated us a little bit and it put us on our heels. To our guys’ credit, we came back and by the last four, five minutes of the game we were playing hard, we got into a little bit of a groove, but it was just a little bit too little, too late.”

The start of the second half added to that concern. Despite the obvious importance of those two categories and the obvious failure of the ‘Cats to handle business in those areas in the first half, the second half started with a Villanova turnover. The Wildcats promptly gave up an offensive rebound on Iowa State’s ensuing possession.

That sequence started a 7-0 Iowa State run and the ‘Cats again found themselves playing from behind. A Brandon Slater free throw snapped the run, but Iowa State responded by scoring the next 10 points and for the second straight game, Villanova found itself down 16 points in the second half.

A 9-0 run from ‘Nova stopped the bleeding and pulled the ‘Cats back within striking distance. Still, Villanova found itself trailing by nine with four minutes to play and eight with just 2:17 left. The ‘Cats once again showed some impressive resiliency, closing to within two on a Brendan Hausen three with 1:07 to play. The ‘Cats were able to get a stop on the ensuing Iowa State possession and, in an eerily similar end to the Michigan State game, had the ball with a chance to tie or win after calling timeout with 19 seconds to go. Dixon missed a three, but Slater pulled down the offensive rebound and was fouled. He knocked down both free throws and the ‘Cats forced a miss to escape to overtime.

The Cyclones opened the scoring in the extra period with a three, and Villanova was never able to regain the lead, ultimately suffering a two-point loss.

Villanova did a better job on the glass in the second half, and ended up with a 14-10 edge in second chance points. The ‘Cats also took care of the ball better, committing eight turnovers in the second half and overtime after those 10 first-half miscues, but Iowa State maintained a 23-12 edge in points off turnovers that ultimately proved too much to overcome. ‘Nova played respectable defense, but once again volume was an issue, as Iowa State rode the turnovers and offensive rebounds to nine extra field goal attempts. ‘Nova was +15 from three and +7 from the free throw line, but Iowa State was +24 from inside the arc, with much of that damage being done in the paint where the Cyclones had a huge 40-16 advantage.

Dixon, Daniels and Slater continued to drive the offense, but Villanova got just 19 points from the rest of the roster and were outscored 37-6 in bench points.

Villanova has now lost three games by a total of eight points, and while the team has showed excellent resiliency, the inability to get over the hump in close games is concerning. Spotting opponents big leads is a problem as well. But more concerning is the fact that opponents have been able to impose their will, dictate the way the game is played and force Villanova to try to overcome the opponent’s strengths instead of the other way around.

Adding to the frustration is the fact that Villanova has put itself in a poor position on Friday, when it will take on Portland, who lost to No. 1 UNC by eight. The ‘Cats find themselves in a position with virtually nothing to gain and a lot to lose. A win over Portland does little to move the needle, while a loss would look rather bad. A few of those types of games are bound to come up over the course of a season, but in the past Villanova had either the luxury of already boasting a strong record or the expectation that it could win such games handily. The current iteration of the ‘Cats has neither and will have to try to find a way to avoid disaster while not gaining a whole lot if they do.

For now, the ‘Cats have no choice but try to win the games in front of them, finish out the non-conference strong and try to get some momentum heading into Big East play.

“We know we gotta stay together,” Daniels said. “Regardless of wins and losses we do the same thing, we get better every single day. We know we have each other and always having that next game, next rep mentality.”

“Our guys are very resilient,” Neptune added. “No matter what they’re gonna keep coming. We have a special bunch in terms of mindset. So, we gotta come back tomorrow and get better.”