Villanova's rollercoaster 2023-24 season continued Sunday afternoon, with the pendulum swinging back to the positive side as the Wildcats produced a wire-to-wire win over Seton Hall. By the time the final buzzer sounded, the 'Cats had secured a dominant 80-54 win.

“I thought that was one of our best defensive efforts we’ve had all year," Kyle Neptune said of the dominant effort. "Both defending and on the glass our guys came out with a lot of energy, and when we defend and rebound like that I think we got a chance against anybody.”

In a rare hot start for 'Nova, the 'Cats jumped out to a 7-0 lead and they never looked back. The Pirates were able to get within two a couple times in the first half, but a 10-0 run by 'Nova late in the half pushed the lead to 15, and the Pirates would never threaten again.

A 9-0 run from the 'Cats midway through the second half pushed the lead to 20, and they would build it as high as 29 before settling at the final margin of 26.

“I think it was just our effort," Neptune said. "I think it was how hard we played, I thought we were very intense, I thought we sprinted back in transition every time, I thought we were in a stance for the entire possession. I think we just played extremely hard.”

The game plan was very good and 'Nova did a great job executing. Seton Hall entered the game grabbing 38.3% of its offensive rebound opportunities. Villanova limited the Pirates to just four offensive rebounds (13.3%) and seven second chance points. The Pirates have also been very effective around the basket, but Villanova limited them to just 18 points in the paint (Nova had 20) and 6-11 on layup attempts. Both teams entered as strong free-throw shooting teams, but Villanova managed to outscore Seton Hall by one from the line in a relatively clean game. Finally, the Pirates have been turnover prone this season, and 'Nova was able to take advantage. The 'Cats forced 15 Seton Hall turnovers (while committing just eight) and built a 19-10 edge in points off turnovers. A good portion of that can be attributed to Tyler Burton, who nabbed five steals on Sunday.

“I love Tyler Buron’s grit," Neptune said. "He’s willing to do anything out there on the floor for us. I thought he was great, his energy level, it seemed like he was all over the place. Defensively I think he’s really starting to take the next step.”

Eric Dixon led the way with 18 points on 8-13 shooting. Brendan Hausen had another strong game, chipping in 17 points on 6-9 shooting, including 5-8 from three. TJ Bamba (14 points, 4-7) and Mark Armstrong (12 points, 5-8) rounded out the double figure scorers for the 'Cats.

“We go back, we watch film, we try to find spots where we can attack defenses," Hausen said. "Credit to coach and the coaches for getting me to those spots and credit to my teammates for finding me. I’ve just been taking it one day at a time, playing off my shot, just taking what the game gives me.”

“I thought we were connected defensively," Dixon added. "I thought we were giving it up for one another. I think we did a good job playing together on both sides of the ball.”

The win keeps a road to the NCAA Tournament, though difficult, viable. The 'Cats will look to take the next step on that journey on Friday when they travel to Georgetown.