Villanova Suffers Another Late Skid in 69-63 Loss

Villanova Men’s Basketball fumbled a second half lead for the second game in a row on Tuesday, Jan. 14, falling 69-63 to the Xavier Musketeers in Cincinnati after allowing a 14-5 run in the final 100 seconds.

An Enoch Boakye dunk put Villanova (11-7, 4-3 Big East) ahead 58-55 with 1:51 to go, then Xavier took the lead on a four point play as Kris Parker fouled Ryan Conwell during his game-tying three-point shot. Wooga Poplar turned the ball over, setting up another Conwell triple, and two more trips to the line gave him a single handed 9-0 run… and the Musketeers a lead they never relinquished.

Villanova star forward Eric Dixon scored less than 20 points for the second game in a row, and just the third time this season, making just six of 16 shots from the floor. Jordan Longino tied Dixon’s team high with 18 points, while Conwell dropped 31 on the night, including six of ten shots from three.

Xavier led 13-4 early before a Boakye dunk set the Wildcats on a 9-0 run. Longino drained a three to put them in front, and Villanova extended the lead to as much as double digits before the end of the first half.

Conwell scored 11 points in the first five minutes out of the break, knotting the game 37-37. Threes from Dixon and Poplar helped Villanova establish some breathing room, but Xavier remained in striking distance until the Wildcats began to shoot themselves in the foot at the worst possible time.

Up next, Villanova will return to the Philadelphia area, hosting the Providence Friars at the 76ers’ Wells Fargo Center starting at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 17.