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Villanova caps remarkable calendar year with impressive road win
The greatest calendar year in Villanova basketball history ended Saturday afternoon in fittingly impressive fashion.
The top-ranked Wildcats gutted out an 80-70 road win at 10th-ranked Creighton in the Big East’s first matchup of undefeated teams since 1989.
After Creighton sharpshooter Isaiah Zierden tied the game at 66 with a 3-pointer with less than five minutes to go, Villanova dug in its heels and showed some championship mettle. Senior wing Josh Hart and sophomore point guard Jalen Brunson scored their team’s next 12 points, spearheading a game-ending 14-4 surge that gave the Wildcats a big road win and an early leg up in the Big East title race.
Hart started the surge with a put-back. Brunson struck next with a mid-range jumper. Three-point-happy Creighton then became a bit panicky and began hoisting jumpers early in the shot clock, enabling Villanova to build on its lead and finish the game at the free throw line.
Villanova’s victory caps one of the greatest calendar years any college basketball program has produced in the past 25 years. Not only did the Wildcats win the national title on a Kris Jenkins buzzer-beating 3-pointer last April, they also won their first 14 games this season to end 2016 with a 38-3 record.
Saturday’s game at Creighton figured to be a big test for Villanova because the Bluejays are a good team that matches up unusually well with the Wildcats.
In amassing a 13-0 record entering play on Saturday, Creighton had already posted victories over Wisconsin, NC State, Ole Miss, Nebraska and Seton Hall. The Bluejays had enjoyed past success against Villanova because they too favor a four-out, one-in style, making it easier to match against the guard-heavy Wildcats.
Creighton got off to a good start fueled by a roaring home crowd, but the Bluejays had no answer for Hart, Brunson and Jenkins, nor did they hit enough jumpers to atone for their defensive issues.
Villanova’s trio of stars combined for 66 points as the Wildcats shot 50.9 percent from the field. Creighton guard Marcus Foster scored 22 points and center Justin Patton added 18, but the Bluejays shot only 6-for-24 from behind the arc, not nearly good enough against the reigning national champs.
One of only three remaining teams in college basketball without a loss along with Gonzaga and Baylor, Villanova will next put its unbeaten record on the line on Wednesday at Butler. The Wildcats also have difficult home games upcoming in January against Xavier and Seton Hall.
So there are challenges ahead in 2017 for Villanova, but there’s no reason to believe the Wildcats can’t handle them.
From New Year’s Day to New Year’s Eve this calendar year, the Wildcats were the best team in college basketball.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!