Following a messy loss to St. John’s in which it recorded a season-high 29 fouls, Villanova had another defensive letdown Tuesday night in Cincinnati.
Villanova’s 69-63 loss to Xavier (11-7, 3-4 Big East) was exacerbated by the four personal fouls it committed in the final minute. The Musketeers, who overcame an eight-point halftime deficit by outscoring the Wildcats 45-31 in the second half, totaled 19 points from the foul line across the game.
Junior guard Ryan Conwell carried the scoreboard for Xavier, scoring a career-high 34 points.
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On the offensive end, Villanova (11-7, 4-3) was led by the duo of graduate forward Eric Dixon and senior guard Jordan Longino. They each scored 18 points and shot 3-for-5 outside the arc.
It was a low-scoring night on both sides. Villanova shot 43.1% from the field and 38.1% from three-point range. Similarly, Xavier shot 40.8% from the field and 40% from three.
Xavier’s home win raises the stakes in a competitively matched Big East. The Wildcats dropped from third to fifth place in the conference standings, while the Musketeers are now seventh.
Wildcats jump back from early scare
Xavier opened the game with a 13-4 run over the first 5 minutes and 21 seconds.
Villanova flipped the momentum after a goaltending turnover on Xavier. A dunk by senior forward Enoch Boakye sparked a 9-0 scoring run for the Wildcats. Free throws by senior guard Wooga Poplar tied the game at 13.
A three-pointer by Longino, assisted by Dixon, gave Villanova a 10-point advantage with 35 seconds left in the half.
Villanova coach Kyle Neptune called a timeout with just over one second on the clock.
Villanova attempted to make use of that final moment. Redshirt freshman guard Kris Parker hurled the ball across the court to Dixon under the basket. After Dixon’s layup missed, Poplar grabbed the rebound and dunked.
Officials took away the dunk after video review, but the play gave the Wildcats the momentum they were looking for heading into the second half.
Conwell’s big night
The Musketeers came to life early in the second half, largely due to the efforts of Conwell. He shot 8-for-13 from the field and 6-of-10 from three. Conwell also made 12 of 14 attempts at the free throw line.
Conwell chipped into Villanova’s lead to start the second half with three foul shots, a pair of three-pointers, and a layup. Xavier tied it at 37 with 15:12 remaining.
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Conwell remained evasive for Villanova’s defense down the stretch. He accounted for 13 of Xavier’s 14 points in the last two minutes of play.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats failed to put together a response while committing four last-minute fouls. Graduate guard Jhamir Brickus’ three-pointer cut Xavier’s lead to 67-63, but it wasn’t enough.
Next up
This weekend, the Wildcats return to the Wells Fargo Center for the second time this season. Villanova will host Providence (9-9, 3-4 Big East) on Friday (7 p.m., FS1). The Friars are in eighth place in the Big East after a road loss against Creighton.