Villanova Men's Basketball
Villanova Blows Second Half Lead, Suffers First Big East Loss
VILLANOVA, Pa.— Villanova Men’s Basketball lost their first home game of the season on Wednesday, Jan. 7, falling 76-72 to the Creighton Blue Jays after building a ten point first half lead.
The Wildcats (12-3, 3-1 Big East) led 25-15 with 7:44 left in the first half but made just two shots in the next six minutes of play, allowing Creighton to close within a point. Acaden Lewis sank a three to end the cold spell, and Villanova took a 34-30 lead into the half.
Duke Brennan posted a 16 point, 12 rebound double-double, while Lewis (20 points) and Tyler Perkins (18 points) picked up some of the slack on a down night for Bryce Lindsay (2-for-10, four points). Austin Swartz (20 points), Josh Dix and Blake Harper (17 points apiece) did the majority of the Blue Jays’ damage.
The Blue Jays had a chance to take the lead on five separate occasions in the first half, closing within one or two points, but the Wildcats managed to come up with the decisive next basket on each occasion. After a Perkins three to open the second half, Creighton pulled even closer, an 8-2 run trimming Villanova’s lead back down to 39-38.
Villanova’s Shooting Freeze
Two Perkins free throws gave the Wildcats a bit of space, but Blue Jays’ guard Josh Dix sank a three to tie the game. Once again, Villanova stayed one step ahead, scoring the go-ahead basket on the following possession on three separate occasions. Creighton broke through midway through the period with a 13-2 run, Villanova head coach Kevin Willard calling two timeouts in that span to try to stop their momentum.
Brennan, who began the season on a 34-for-66 clip at the free throw line, made four straight after drawing a fragrant 1 foul while fighting for a rebound, pulling the Wildcats back within two, but Swartz sank a three just as the Finneran Pavilion crowd began to buzz. From there, the Blue Jays made five shots in a row, and two offensive rebounds helped them burn more than a minute off the clock on one possession with less than two minutes remaining.
Up next, Villanova will travel to face Marquette at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 10.
