Cats fall to Xavier 56-53

You already know how this story is going to start...it was another slow start for Villanova. The Wildcats missed their first four shots and six of their first seven, not scoring for the first 3:33 of the game. However, they played solid defense and trailed only 5-2 despite the offensive struggles.

Some tough shots from the Musketeers helped Xavier extend the lead to 10 just over eight minutes in. The teams traded 5-0 mini-runs, with 'Nova getting within five only to see the deficit jump right back up to 10. But the 'Cats kept battling defensively, and finally some shots started to fall. The result was a 13-0 run that would give them their first lead, 22-19, with 4:43 to play in the first half. The run would extend to 16-1, putting 'Nova up 25-20 with three minutes left. Xavier suffered through a 5:47 drought during the run.

In another familiar refrain, yet another disastrous end-of-half sequence would put a damper on the vibes. Xavier turned the ball over with 33 seconds left and trailing by five. But, as we have seen several times this season, Villanova was unable to ensure it got the last shot of the period, turning it over with 12 seconds to play. The miscue led to an Xavier three at the buzzer to cut Villanova's lead to two and sent the Musketeers to the locker room with the momentum despite the fact that they had been outscored 19-4 over the final nine minutes before the big shot.

The second half was a battle, with three key sequences defining the outcome.

The first was a little 5-0 push from Xavier early in the second half that turned a four-point 'Nova lead into a one-point deficit. It seemed innocuous enough at the time, especially when a Brendan Hausen three cut the run short and put the 'Cats back in the lead. But it provided just enough of a spark to ignite the bigger blow that was about to come.

This time it was a 9-0 run from the Musketeers to give them a seven-point lead. Villanova was able to fight back and tie the game, but it's hard not to look at this three-and-a-half minute stretch and feel it's the one that did 'Nova in.

As we mentioned, despite the big blow from Xavier, the 'Cats were able to claw back to even with 5:21 to play. But the final key sequence, which occurred over the game's final minute, sealed Villanova's fate.

With 45 seconds left, Brendan Hausen (who had a great game) went to the line for two shots and the chance to tie the game. He was only able to connect on one, leaving Xavier with a one-point lead and the ball. On the ensuing possession, Xavier's Quincy Olivari was able to get downhill and Justin Moore, coming over as a help defender, was caught reaching and was called for a foul. Olivari hit both free throws to extend the Xavier lead to three with 18 seconds left. Out of an Xavier timeout, Villanova was unable to get a shot off before the final buzzer sounded.

Ultimately, Villanova just didn't do enough of the small things Wednesday night. The 'Cats played well enough, particularly defensively, and weren't dominated in any aspect of the game. They were -4 in points off turnovers and -4 in second chance points. They also shot just 13-25 on layups. Xavier simply made a few more plays, and spotting the Musketeers a 10-point lead didn't help either.

“I thought we came out and played extremely hard," Neptune said. "It’s a tough environment, Xavier’s a tough team. They came out and they just outlasted us.”

'Nova will look to bounce back on Sunday when it hosts Seton Hall.