’Nova needs OT to survive

RADNOR >> The numbers indicated that Villanova should have had no trouble with DePaul Tuesday night at the Pavilion.

DePaul was winless in the Big East and had lost 18 straight to the 14thranked Wildcats.

Jay Wright, though, knew better. This DePaul team was better than its predecessors. Its three league losses were by a total of 16 points, so Wright expected a dogfight. He turned out to be on the mark.

The Wildcats overcame a slow start and a double-digit deficit, to extend its winning streak to three games with a 79-75 victory over the Blue Demons Tuesday night in overtime.

Collin Gillespie, Saddiq Bey, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Jermaine Samuels led the way for the Wildcats (13-3, 4-1 Big East).

Gillespie tallied 13 of his teamhigh 21 points in the second half and overtime to help the Wildcats pull take care of DePaul (12-5, 0-4). He was 9-for-10 from the free throw line, including 4-for-4 in the extra period. He also handed out four assists.

Bey pitched in with 18 points and four assists. Robinson-Earl collected 13 points and 13 rebounds for the third double-double of his career. Samuels pitched in with 15 points.

Guard Charlie Moore topped DePaul with 29 points. Paul Reed collected 18 points and 15 rebounds for his Big Eastleading 12th double-double of the season. Jaylen Butz added 16 points to help the Blue Demons win the battle of the paint, 38-28.

The Wildcats were lucky to have a 30-28 lead at halftime. They trailed by as many as 13 points largely because of DePaul’s defense.

The Blue Demons contested every shot inside the 3-point arc and a few outside of it. Villanova’s offense did not come to life until Gillespie got going. The 6-3 guard scored all eight of his points in a 64-second stretch that was part of a 12-0 run to close the first half.

Gillespie sandwiched a pair of 3-pointers around two free throws to cut DePaul’s lead to 28-26. Cole Swider hit both ends of a one-and-one to tie it. Bey dropped in a layup with 33 seconds left to give the Wildcats their first lead since 5-4.

Robinson-Earl blocked a dunk attempt by DePaul’s Butz to preserve the lead.

DePaul held Villanova to 31 percent shooting overall and from 3-point range, but the Blue Demons could not sustain that defensive intensity over 40 minutes. The Wildcats picked up the offensive pace to slowly pull away in the second half.