Villanova got back on track in a big way Wednesday night, gutting out a solid 67-61 win over #10 Marquette. Let’s look at the key numbers that defined the win.
29: Points for Jermaine Samuels
It’s impossible to start any discussion of Wednesday’s win without talking about Jermaine Samuels. The sophomore erupted for a career-high 29 points. Samuels’ aggressiveness, or lack thereof, has been a huge part of our discussion of the team over the past few weeks, and we finally got what we were asking for.
His 29 points and 19 shot attempts were more than he’s had in his last 10 games combined. We’ve been over the effect an aggressive Samuels has on the team, and for a team desperate for production from players not named Phil Booth and Eric Paschall, it was a great sign. We’ll have more on Samuels in our takeaways from the game.
22: Villanova points off turnovers
Villanova’s defense was good on Wednesday night, and it helped the ‘Cats generate 22 points off 18 Marquette turnovers. ‘Nova only had seven turnovers of its own, leading to 12 Marquette points. In a close game, that 10-point margin was huge, and it was great to see a good defensive performance against an incredibly dangerous offensive team like Marquette.
12: Villanova second chance points
The ‘Cats were dominant on the offensive glass, grabbing 15 offensive boards to Marquette’s six. The disparity helped the ‘Cats generate 12 second-chance points, while Marquette managed just four. Like the points of turnovers, second-chance points played a big role in a close game and these two stats were key in deciding the outcome of a close game. It was Villanova’s energy and intensity defensively and on the glass that won the game for the Wildcats.
18: Made free throws for Villanova
The ‘Cats were able to establish an advantage at the line, making 18 free throws in 26 attempts. Just like the last meeting between the teams, ‘Nova limited Marquette to just 10 free throw attempts, six below its season average, and the Golden Eagles converted just six of those 10 attempts. Again, in a close game that 12-point margin looms large.
