Unlike Thursday, Villanova found itself in a fight Friday against Mississippi State. Thanks to another great team effort and some very good execution down the stretch, the ‘Cats were able to emerge with an 83-76 win over the Bulldogs.

The teams traded jabs early, with Mississippi State building a modest lead. But then, for the second straight day, Collin Gillespie stepped up and set the tone for the Wildcats. Gillespie scored nine-straight points to help ‘Nova take the lead. Mississippi State remained within striking distance, but a beautifully designed and executed play to end the half gave the ‘Cats a momentum boost heading into the break. ‘Nova through a full-court pass that was caught by Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and tipped to Gillespie, who drained the three and pushed Villanova’s lead to nine.

The second half proved to be wildly entertaining. ‘Nova would build it’s lead to around 10 points, only to see the Bulldogs cut it back to two or four. This trend continued for the full 20 minutes, with Mississippi State refusing to go away but the ‘Cats answering each time.

Robinson-Earl led the way for the ‘Cats with 22 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. He played with incredible feel for a freshman, constantly finding the right spots on the floor and making smart plays. The freshman continues to impress and make an impact for Villanova.

Gillespie was again fantastic for ‘Nova, chipping in 18 points, nine assists, two rebounds, and two steals. He once again set the tone for the ‘Cats and did a great job running the offense. He made great decisions and provided a nice mix of dribble drives and long-range shooting. Gillespie is playing at a high level right now, and it’s no coincidence that the Wildcats have looked the way they have the last two days with Gillespie playing the way he is.

Saddiq Bey was very good as well. He had 17 points on 7-10 shooting to go with seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal.

Jermaine Samuels rounded out the double-figure scorers with 14. He added five rebounds, two assists, and block and was just solid all-around. His day was punctuated with a stunning dunk.

Justin Moore had seven points, three rebounds, an assist, and a steal.

The bench was much quieter on Friday. Cole Swider had three points, three rebounds, two blocks, and two assists and Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree had two points and four rebounds. Brandon Slater and Bryan Antoine didn’t record a stat in limited minutes.

Interestingly, we saw a bit of the inverse of what we expected. After committing 25 turnovers on Thursday against Tulane, the Bulldogs had just seven on Friday while forcing 13 Villanova miscues. But Villanova more than held its own on the glass, winning the rebounding battle 34-32. The ‘Cats did give up 13 offensive rebounds, but to win the overall rebounding battle against Mississippi State is an impressive feat.

Villanova shot the ball well again, connecting on 58.5 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from three. The ball movement was good once again, with the ‘Cats generating 20 assists and assisting on 65 percent of their baskets.

It was a solid performance all-around. The defense was good, the ball movement was excellent, and the ‘Cats displayed great poise and toughness. They played Villanova basketball, and that’s a really encouraging sign from a young team. Just a very impressive two days from the Wildcats.

‘Nova awaits the winner of Baylor and Coastal Carolina, who it will take on in Sunday’s Myrtle Beach Invitational championship game as the ‘Cats go for their seventh straight early-season tournament championship.