Villanova’s 2024-25 season will live another day. The Wildcats handled their business in their Big East Tournament opener against Seton Hall, earning a wire-to-wire 67-55 victory.
“Proud of what our guys did out there,” Kyle Neptune said. “Shaheen Holloway, he is one of the best coaches in our league. He always has his team prepared. They're nasty. They're tough. Again, proud of the way our guys competed.”
Villanova certainly came out ready to play. The Wildcats scored the first six points of the game en route to opening an 8-2 lead. They then blew the game open with a 9-0 run that turned into a 17-2 push, extending the lead to 19 just over halfway through the period. Villanova hit 10 of its first 15 shots (67%) while Seton Hall hit just two of its first 10.
Unfortunately for the ‘Cats, a nearly eight-minute field goal drought stymied the momentum. After a Wooga Poplar three put ‘Nova up by 18 with 8:29 to play in the half, the ‘Cats would manage just four made free throws over the next seven-and-a-half minutes before Jhamir Brickus finally hit a three with 44 seconds on the clock. Some quick math will tell you that ‘Nova scored just seven points over the final eight minutes of the half.
The good news was Seton Hall was having just as much trouble putting the ball in the basket, shooting just 31 percent in the period, including 0-4 from three. Despite Villanova’s offensive struggles down the stretch, it still carried an 18-point lead into the break, just one shy of its largest lead of the game.
Poplar nearly had a double-double in the first half with 10 points and eight rebounds. Jordan Longino and Tyler Perkins added seven points each, while Brickus added six. Eric Dixon was scoreless in the period.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a 2024-25 Villanova game without some consternation. This game’s version arrived right out of the gate in the second half. Seton Hall opened the period on a 12-2 run to cut the lead to just eight, sparking flashbacks and panic across Nova Nation.
“We knew this is what they do…you look at their entire season. They've been down, it seems like, almost every game, and somehow they find a way to make it a one, two-possession game all the time, and just the way they play, the way they coach, they just keep coming after you,” Neptune said of Hall’s start to the second half. “I thought our guys did a good job of staying calm under pressure. We had some key baskets. We were solid with the ball. At some key times, they did force some turnovers, but I thought, all in all, we did a good job.”
Villanova, however, responded swiftly in this instance. The Wildcats put a stop to the momentum shift with a 13-0 run, establishing a new largest lead of the game (21) in the process. It appeared the ‘Cats were in control and would cruise to the victory.
Instead, we got yet another reminder that we were, in fact, watching the 2024-25 Villanova Wildcats. After keeping the lead at 15-20 points for the next five minutes, Villanova would suffer through yet another extended field goal drought. After a Perkins layup at 7:49, ‘Nova would get nothing but Eric Dixon free throws (eight of them) for THE REST OF THE GAME. As a result, Seton Hall was able to trim the ‘Nova lead to 12 with 2:30 to play, seemingly still comfortable but one again sending shivers through Nova Nation, particularly with the state of the offense during the stretch. Fortunately, Dixon’s parade to the line was enough and the Pirates would get no closer than 12, with the ‘Cats walking away with a 67-55 win.
“I thought our guys did a good job handling their pressure in key moments,” Neptune said. “They did get some turnovers, but I thought we did a good job attacking their pressure to score. I thought we were solid down the stretch. We got to the rim, got some key and-ones and finishes around the basket. I thought they were key.”
What once looked like a dominant performance turned into quite a mixed bag. Villanova allowed Seton Hall to shoot 55.6 percent in the second half, including 45.5 percent from three, as the Pirates more than doubled their point total from the first half. ‘Nova committed 16 turnovers while dishing out just eight assists. But the ‘Cats also shot 47 percent from three, forced 15 Seton Hall turnovers that they turned into 19 points and had a 16-6 advantage in second-chance points. And despite the maddening droughts and the streaky, up-and-down play, it’s hard to complain too much about a wire-to-wire victory.
Dixon ended up with 19 points after his scoreless first half. Poplar got his double-double, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Enoch Boakye nearly joined him with nine points and nine rebounds. Perkins rounded out the double figure scorers with 11 points, adding five rebounds. Longino chipped in nine points, three rebounds and three assists. Brickus finished with six points, three assists and two rebounds.
Regardless of how you view the win, it was a win and Villanova accomplished the only real goal of the evening: extend the season another day. The ‘Cats will look to accomplish that goal again on Thursday night when they take on UConn.
