Villanova Men's Basketball
Villanova Reaction: Brennan, Perkins Double-Doubles, Josh Dix Steps Up
Villanova Men’s Basketball avenged their worst loss of the season on Saturday, Feb. 14, defeating the Creighton Blue Jays 80-69 on the road.
Duke Brennan and Tyler Perkins each notched double-doubles, Bryce Lindsay played just three second half minutes, and the Wildcats (20-5, 11-3 Big East) showed plenty of grit in a tough road environment, stamping out each attempt at a Creighton comeback on the way to a comfortable double digit win. The win wasn’t perfect: getting Lindsay back to his previous form could end up the difference between a tournament appearance and a tournament run, and the Wildcats’ free throw shooting struggled before they managed to make nine of their last ten, closing out the Blue Jays in the final 80 seconds… but Villanova is amidst a five game winning streak and climbing up the tournament standings.
The Blue Jays, for their part, continued to rally around senior guard Josh Dix, who lost his mother Kelly after a three year battle with cancer on Feb. 3: the entire team attended her funeral the day before the game. Head coach Greg McDermott gave an emotional postgame interview, describing how he’s led his young players through that loss and how Dix inspires them. Dix scored 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting against Villanova, Creighton’s second highest total, adding five rebounds and three assists in 36 minutes.
Here’s the reaction from fans and media after the game.
