The ‘Cats avoided consecutive losses, rebounding from last Saturday’s stumble against Butler with a 100-90 victory over Marquette.

A hot start from Eric Paschall got the ‘Cats rolling, as he knocked in consecutive threes to open the game. Another three from Phil Booth staked the ‘Cats to a 9-3 lead, and they never looked back.

Villanova used a balanced offensive attack to build the lead as high as 13 before taking a 12-point lead into the half. The ‘Cats shot 50% from three and 62% from the floor as they got into the paint at will. Seven Wildcats scored in the half, led by Paschall’s 11.

The defense was better, holding a potent Marquette offense to 34 points. The Golden Eagles shot 42% from the floor and 44% from three, and the ‘Cats gave them nothing easy. Villanova forced six first-half turnovers, turning them into eight points. ‘Nova also dominated points in the paint 22-8 and bench scoring 17-3. The bench scoring was largely a result of Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree having his best half as a Wildcat, scoring 10 points on a perfect 5-5 shooting.

Markus Howard and Sacar Anim kept Marquette in the game, but ‘Nova was able to hold them at arms-length throughout the half.

The second half took on a similar cadence to the first. The ‘Cats built the lead as high as 17 early in the half, and maintained a double-figure cushion for a long stretch.

A 9-0 Marquette spurt near the halfway point of the second half cut the Wildcat lead to eight with 10:20 to play. From there the teams traded blows, with the lead hovering between eight and 13 points. Villanova was able to stretch the lead back to 15 with just under five minutes to play, before a desperation push from the Golden Eagles closed the gap to six with just under a minute to go. Marquette was able to get as close as five, making Nova Nation sweat through the final minute, but the ‘Cats were able to withstand the push and earn the 10-point victory.

The team’s biggest stars shone bright in the second half, as Jalen Brunson poured in 20 second-half points while Mikal Bridges added 14. The ‘Cats cooled from deep in the second half, shooting just 30%, but still managed 50% from the field. ‘Nova also turned the foul line into an advantage, knocking down 23-27 free throws in the second half and outscoring Marquette by 11 from the charity stripe.

Marquette’s impressive offense managed 56 second half points, but were still held to 47% from the floor and just 27% from three.

Overall, it was a very solid performance from Villanova. Despite the late push from Marquette, ‘Nova maintained a double-figure lead for much of the game and never trailed in the game.

While the 90 points allowed aren’t indicative of a great defensive performance, the ‘Nova defense was better than it had been recently. There were very few blatant defensive breakdowns, and a dangerous offensive team had to work incredibly hard. Villanova forced 12 Marquette turnovers, leading to 16 points, while only committing seven of its own. For the game Marquette shot just 45% from the floor and 36% from three.

Villanova did a relatively good job on Marquette’s electric trio of Markus Howard, Andrew Rowsey, and Sam Hauser. Howard got his, scoring 37 points, but both Rowsey and Hauser were held below their season averages. ‘Nova did a particularly good job on Rowsey, who entered the game averaging 22 points per game. On Saturday he was held to just six points on 2-12 shooting.

Villanova was outrebounded 39-30, but second chance points were even at 22.

Jalen Brunson was again spectacular, finishing with 27 points on 8-15 shooting. He added eight assists, two rebounds and two steals.

Eric Paschall had his best offensive game of the season, chipping in 19 points on 5-6 from the floor, 3-3 from three, and 6-6 from the line. He also had three rebounds, two blocks, and a steal.

Mikal Bridges contributed 18 points, seven rebounds, and three assists.

Phil Booth had 10 points, five rebounds, four assists, and two blocks.

Omari Spellman had a quiet offensive night, scoring just two points on 1-3 shooting. He was limited by foul trouble. He added two rebounds, two blocks, and an assist.

Donte DiVincenzo was fantastic off the bench, scoring 14 points on 5-9 shooting to go with six rebounds, four assists and a steal.

We mentioned Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree’s stellar first half in which he scored 10 points on 5-5 shooting while grabbing two rebounds. He was quiet in the second half, logging just four minutes. But you have to love what he showed in the first half, getting into double-figures while showing confidence and efficiency.

All-in-all it was a solid performance against a dangerous offensive team. Despite the 90 points allowed, the defense looked much better. The offense continued to hum, and it was good to see the Wildcats regain their advantage at the free-throw line. They attempted 32 free-throws, while limiting Marquette to just 15 attempts. ‘Nova played a much more complete game and maintained focus from the opening tip to the final buzzer. There are no easy night’s in the Big East, and this was a solid response from Villanova.

The win marked a milestone for Jay Wright, who earned his 400th victory as head coach at Villanova. He is 14 wins away from becoming the all-time winningest coach at Villanova.

Next up a huge game with Xavier on Wednesday.