Villanova Wakes Up From Slump in Time to Beat DePaul

VILLANOVA, Pa. — Villanova Men’s Basketball couldn’t land a shot to save their lives for 25 minutes straight in their 71-66 win over DePaul in their Big East home opener on Wednesday, Dec. 31. They woke up just in time to save themselves.

The Wildcats (11-2, 2-0 Big East) began on a tear, making four of their first five shots, including three-pointers from Tyler Perkins and Bryce Lindsay, both of whom finished with a game-high 19 points. A Lindsay and-one made it 12-6 just three minutes and 46 seconds in, but Villanova fell into a rut from there, making just three of their next 23 shots as DePaul surged ahead with a 17-4 run.

Both teams opted for a full court press for much of the frame, which added to Villanova’s offensive woes. While they brought down ten offensive rebounds in the first half, the Wildcats managed just two second-chance points. A 7-of-13 clip from the charity stripe, including two misses on one-and-one opportunities, further compounded their struggles. 

Turnovers were Villanova’s saving grace, leading to 14 of their 28 first half points: the Wildcats forced four turnovers in a span of 75 seconds late in the half, sparking a 7-0 run that closed the gap to 30-28.

Villanova Wakes Up

Villanova’s poor shooting continued into the second half, which they opened on a 4-of-15 stretch. The Blue Demons maintained their dominance in the paint, where they scored 34 points on the night, steadily inching away from the Wildcats. An RJ Smith three with 10:54 to play pushed their lead to ten points, their largest to that point, forcing Kevin Willard to call his second timeout in a six minute span.

Blue Demons starters RJ Smith, CJ Gunn and Kaleb Banks spent most of the game in foul trouble: each of them received their fourth whistle with more than eight minutes to play. With Gunn and Smith, the Blue Demons’ No. 1 and No. 2 scorers, both limited, the Wildcats had a chance to surge back into the game.

After beginning on a 4-of-16 stretch from beyond the arc, Villanova made six of their next seven threes, beginning with a pair from Lindsay on consecutive possessions that keyed an 8-0 run. Perkins tied the game at 56 with a three of his own and, after a Brandon Maclin layup, Devin Askew put the Wildcats in front with another triple with 5:03 to play.

From there, the dam broke. DePaul managed just two baskets in the next four minutes, as the Wildcats took command.

Up next, Villanova will travel to face Butler at 12 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 3.