Villanova will go for a fifth straight win Wednesday night when it heads to Cincinnati to take on No. 17 Xavier. The Musketeers enter the game with a 12-2 record and a 2-1 mark in the Big East, with that lone blemish coming in a December 21 loss at ‘Nova.

“We obviously have a big game against a really tough opponent in Xavier who just played a great game at Butler,” Jay Wright said.

Last Friday’s win over Butler is the only game Xavier has played since the loss to ‘Nova after games against UConn and Georgetown were postponed.

In that December 21 meeting, Villanova used a big second half to overcome an eight-point halftime deficit, outscoring the Musketeers 41-20 for a 13-point win.

Two things stand out from that first meeting. First, the game was a tale of two halves in regards to 3-point shooting. Second, Villanova was able to get the better of things inside, negating what looked heading into the game to be an advantage for Xavier.

In the first half, ‘Nova shot just 1-10 from 3 and was outscored by 15 from beyond the arc as the Musketeers hit 6-9. We saw a complete 180 in the second half, as ‘Nova erased that 15-point disadvantage by hitting 5-11 from deep while Xavier was a dismal 0-14.

The Wildcats were able to offset the 3-point issues in the first half and stay in the game thanks to 12-19 shooting from 2-point range while Xavier was just 7-16. The ‘Cats built an impressive 24-10 advantage in the paint in the first half.

That inside advantage continued in the second half, and combined with the reversal in fortunes from beyond the arc, propelled the ‘Cats to what ended up being a somewhat comfortable win.

Villanova also did a great job on most of Xavier’s top scorers. The ‘Cats held Jack Nunge to six points, Colby Jones to two points, and Paul Scruggs and Zach Freemantle to six points each. Scruggs shot just 2-10 for the game. That quartet averages just under 43 points per game on the season, so holding it to 20 was no small feat. Those players combined for just five second half points in the loss to ‘Nova.

Nate Johnson (12 points) and Dwon Odom (13) were the only Musketeers to reach double figures against Villanova.

Adam Kunkel, who had nine points in the first meeting with ‘Nova, is coming off a 25-point outburst against Butler. Jerome Hunter, who Villanova held to four points, had 12 against Butler.

“Kunkel was incredible (against Butler), Hunter was really good and we know about Johnson, Scruggs, Freemantle so just great balance on this team,” Wright said. “Very difficult to prepare for because any guy on this team can get it going and take over a game so we’ve gotta be prepared any of these guys getting hot, especially at home.”

Of course, playing Xavier in Cincinnati is a bit different than taking on the Musketeers in your own building as the Cintas Center is one of best environments in the Big East. “It’s a really difficult environment to play in,” Wright said. “They’ve got a great atmosphere there. They shoot the ball extremely well there. So, you gotta know you’re in for that. It’s not gonna be easy, you just gotta keep a really positive mindset throughout the game whatever happens.”

It will be interesting to see if Villanova can replicate its defensive effort and its strong play inside the arc from the first meeting between the teams. Xavier has also been excellent getting to line and defending without fouling, so it will be worth keeping an eye on the free throw line.

Villanova will also be looking to put together a complete game. While the ‘Cats have been playing well, there have been some shaky halves during the current winning streak, particularly first halves. It’s something Wright believes both teams are looking to establish.

“I think both of us are trying to improve and put two halves together,” Wright said. “Which they just did against Butler, I thought we just played a good second half against DePaul so it’s going to be interesting to see where we both are tomorrow night.”

It will be another tough challenge and another great opportunity to both build the resume and strengthen position in the Big East standings.

The game is scheduled for a 6:30 tip and will air on FS1.