Villanova plummets to 3rd straight loss
CINCINNATI >> Xavier players ran to the student section to slap hands after their biggest win of the season. A couple of weeks ago, nobody could have anticipated them knocking off No. 17 Villanova by double digits.
Those low expectations made it all the sweeter.
Naji Marshall scored 17 points and Xavier used a big surge in the second half to rally past Villanova 66-54 Sunday , leaving the Wildcats with three straight losses in Big East play for the first time since the conference was reconfigured.
It was only Xavier’s second win against the Wildcats in the Big East.
“I’ve never beaten ‘Nova in my career,” junior point guard Quentin Goodin said. “Having all the doubters against us, I feel we proved a point today.”
The Musketeers (1513, 7-8) won their fourth straight — matching their season high — and ended their run of lopsided losses against the Wildcats. Villanova (20-8, 11-4) had won five in a row against the Musketeers, including an 85-75 victory on Jan. 18.
That loss started a sixgame Xavier losing streak that dropped the defending regular season champions to last in the Big East. Now they’re on their way back up.
“We’re a heck of a lot better than we were then — a lot,” coach Travis Steele said. “Dramatically.”
It showed in the big moments.
Marshall had seven points during a 17-0 run that gave Xavier its first lead midway through the second half. Marshall has been the catalyst during Xavier’s winning streak, averaging 20.5 points.
“We all need to be on one bus, all together on this,” Marshall said. “It’s not about individual play.”
Villanova struggled to hit shots during backto-back road losses at St. John’s and Georgetown, and the poor shooting carried over. The Wildcats missed 11 consecutive shots during Xavier’s decisive run and were only 4 of 18 from beyond the arc in the second half, when they went more than 9 minutes without scoring.
“It seemed like a long time,” coach Jay Wright said. “I think we’re just not executing the way we want to, not getting any easy baskets off our defense, so it makes every shot monumental.”