Cats fall to Xavier 88-80

After the teams traded blows early, Xavier ripped off an 11-0 run over just two and a half minutes to turn a two-point ‘Nova lead into a nine-point deficit. Villanova responded with a 13-2 push to retake the lead, however. The ‘Cats scored six straight points to immediately respond to Xavier’s push, and then after that run was broken scored another seven straight to take a 20-18 lead. It was a nice response by the ‘Cats and a stretch where they played some really good basketball.

‘Nova would get the lead up to four with just over five minutes remaining, but Xavier would end the half on a 13-5 push to take a four-point lead into the halftime.

It was an interesting half. Xavier looked to exploit its advantage down low with Zach Freemantle and Jack Nunge. As ‘Nova tried to respond to that threat, it started leaving three-point shooters open, with the situation quickly deteriorating into a pick your poison issue. The ‘Cats found relief from a somewhat surprising source: Trey Patterson. The seldom used sophomore provided a huge lift on the defensive end, getting a steal on his first possession but even more importantly helping ‘Nova neutralize Xavier’s advantage down low. The Xavier offense began to sputter a bit, and ‘Nova was able to get back into the game.

The second half started well enough for Villanova, as the Wildcats fought back to tie the game just over two minutes into the period and then answered each Xavier basket for a few more minutes. But after a Cam Whitmore jump shot tied the game at 44 with 15:39 to play, there was a crucial stretch of about three minutes that ultimately decided the game.

Over that stretch, Xavier would outscore Villanova 11-3 to take an eight-point lead with 12:33 to play. The Musketeers would push the lead to nine with 8:40 to go, and although ‘Nova would fight back to within four several times over the final eight minutes, including for the final time with 1:01 to play, Xavier had the answer every time and would let ‘Nova get no closer before walking away with the eight-point win.

Ultimately, Villanova was doomed by inconsistency at both ends of the court. Xavier is one of the best offensive teams in the Big East, and ‘Nova did well to limit the Musketeers to 30% three-point shooting in the first half. ‘Nova also forced 14 turnovers and turned those giveaways into 14 points. But between the difficulty stopping Xavier down low early in the game and some severe defensive lapses in the second half, it was too much to overcome. Xavier scored 53 points in the second half, shooting a blistering 57.7% overall and 66.7% from three. Villanova’s transition defense also left a lot to be desired, as the ‘Cats were outscored 22-7 on the fast break, including a decisive 17-2 in the second half.

Offensively, the ‘Cats had some good stretches, but just couldn’t consistently put the ball in the basket. They shot 43.2% overall for the game and just 28.1% from three. The fact that Villanova got 17 more field goal attempts than Xavier but still lost by eight tells you all you need to know about the efficiency.

It was a hard-fought game. Xavier is very good. Villanova had its moments and hung in there for the duration. But there simply isn’t any more time for moral victories, and this loss was a devastating blow to Villanova’s hopes of salvaging the season and making an NCAA Tournament appearance. It’s still possible, but it would take some results that we have no reason to think will come to fruition. The resume to this point is severely lacking in quality wins, has a couple really bad losses and the road ahead is just so difficult that it’s hard to see how the Wildcats will get to a record that is worthy of an NCAA invitation.

In a trend that 'Nova fans will lament if this team does, ultimately, fail to secure an NCAA invitation, the Wildcats just can't seem to get over the hump in close games against good teams. Whether it was Saturday against Xavier, or UConn and Marquette earlier in Big East play, or Michigan State and Iowa State in non-conference play, the 'Cats have been in position to get key wins and just haven't been able to close the deal. The losses to Michigan State, Iowa State and Marquette came by a combined six points. UConn and Xavier both won by eight, but 'Nova was within a possession or two in crunch time of each of those games as well.

If you want to be an optimist, you can note that Villanova hung with a very good team for 40 minutes despite not playing its best game and that it has been right there at the end against several good teams so far this season.. Unfortunately, the ‘Cats have left themselves no room for error, so there’s no way around the ramifications of this latest loss. If your less of an optimist, than this game confirmed what you’ve probably already been thinking for a week or two: this team has a few too many holes and an inability to play at or near its best consistently, and those things will ultimately doom the season.

Regardless, there’s still games to play. Whether those games end up leading to some kind of postseason appearance or simply an opportunity to watch a few Wildcats play their final games in a Villanova uniform and an opportunity to develop its young players and work to set the foundation for next season remains to be seen. For now, ‘Nova will look to get back in the win column when it travels to DePaul on Tuesday.