VILLANOVA, Pa. -- If there were such a thing for the nation’s No. 1 team, the game Wednesday evening at the Pavilion against DePaul could be labeled a trap game with No. 10 Creighton waiting for a Big East showdown Saturday.
And it certainly played out like one.
But thanks to the heroics from Player of the Year hopeful Josh Hart, the Wildcats escaped with a 68-65 win.
The senior swingman scored 10 of his game-high 25 in the final 3:06, including a dagger three-pointer from the top of the key to push Villanova to a 66-62 lead with under 10 seconds to play.
DePaul didn’t go away quietly. Billy Garrett Jr. quickly ran down court and converted a three-point play to get the Blue Demons back within one. And after two free throws from Jalen Brunson, Garrett Jr. missed a clean look at a three-pointer that would have tied the game at the buzzer.
Turning point
After DePaul’s Tre'Darius McCallum hit a jumper to get the Blue Demons to within four, 37-33, with 16:41 to go, Villanova coach Jay Wright called timeout. From there, the Wildcats used a critical 14-6 run over six minutes to seize control of the game … for a few minutes.
The run was capped off by a Donte DiVincenzo corner trey, which forced DePaul coach Dave Leitao to call timeout.
But then DePaul used a 14-0 run to take its first lead since 4-3 to set up a dramatic finish.
Inside the box score
• The Blue Demons missed all of their nine first-half attempts from beyond the three-point arc. They then made their first attempt of the second half and finished 3 for 17 from deep.
• The Wildcats committed nine turnovers in the first half and 14 on the night.
• Brunson shot 5 of 7 from the floor and dished out six assists while adding four rebounds.
• Kris Jenkins missed six of his nine attempts from beyond the arc.
History
Villanova improved to 23-8 all-time against the Blue Demons, who haven’t beaten the Wildcats since 2008.
Jay Wright is now 15-2 against DePaul.
Up next
Villanova’s biggest challenge of the season, to date, is Saturday afternoon in Omaha, Neb., against the No. 10 Creighton BlueJays at 1 p.m.
DePaul is off until New Year’s Day, when the Blue Demons host Big East foe St. John’s in Chicago.