The Wildcats were far too inconsistent on the offensive end, after giving up the early lead.
It feels like the postseason has come a bit early, especially with Villanova and Seton Hall jockeying for conference tournament positioning and victories in any-way-necessary to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive.
In a must-win game for both teams, they brought the defensive intensity, but Seton Hall got hot in the right spurts. Once the Pirates pulled ahead in the first half, they hardly looked back from there and went on to win, 66-56.
Villanova mustered a late run, an 11-2 stretch after Seton Hall took a 13-point lead, the Pirates’ highest of the game.
Jordan Longino and Brendan Hausen hit back-to-back threes to start the rally attempt. Hausen was fouled on his shot and completed the four-point play. Mark Armstrong hit a layup and Hausen followed up with a pair of free throws to cut into the deficit and make it 52-48, with 5:03 remaining.
That would be the closest the ‘Cats would get to catching the Pirates, as they shot 3-of-11 for the remainder of the game, while Seton Hall made a couple of jumpers and converted at the free-throw line to extend their lead and preserve the victory.
Although Villanova had its moments and stretches, the Wildcats were far too inconsistent on the offensive end on Wednesday night.
The Wildcats shot just 19-of-54 (35.2%) overall and 9-of-27 (33.3%) from deep for the game. Missed layups and open shots doomed the ‘Cats once again. They converted on just 9-of-22 layup attempts for the game.
It was a steep difference from the Wildcats’ previous matchup with Seton Hall, where they routed the Pirates, 80-54, at home. Villanova shot 61.5% inside the arc, and drilled 14 three-pointers as a team in the Feb. 11 showdown.
The Wildcats grabbed the lead from opening tip, thanks to an early three-point barrage. Seton Hall was right behind, but it didn’t snatch the lead until a 10-0 run in the closing minutes of the first half.
Al-Amir Dawes knocked down the go-ahead three-pointer with 2:59 left in the first half, which sparked the 10-0 stretch. It was capped off by a pair of Jaden Bediako free throws to make it 30-22, with 47 seconds left in the first half.
Villanova’s Hakim Hart broke the run with a layup to close out the first half, as Seton Hall held onto a 30-24 lead at the break.
Eric Dixon led Villanova with 14 points, six boards, one steal and a block, but had five turnovers. T.J. Bamba added 11 points. Those two combined for 10-of-19 on the floor, while the rest of the Wildcats shot just 9-of-35 (25.7%).
For Seton Hall, Kadary Richmond led the way with a game-high 20 points on 6-of-15 shooting. He also had six rebounds, five assists and three steals. Dre Davis had 18 points, seven rebounds, four blocks and a steal. Jaden Bediako finished with an 11-point, 12-rebound double-double, with two blocks. Eight of his 12 rebounds came on the offensive glass.
The Pirates shot 20-of-51 (39.2%) overall and 9-of-23 (39.1%) from long range. Seton Hall also won on the glass, 39-29.
Villanova drops to 17-13 overall and 10-9 in Big East play after its final road game of the season. The Wildcats will return home for their regular season finale against No. 10 Creighton. That game is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center.