NEW YORK -- He didn’t even know if he was going to play until just before game time.
And watching him limp around in the first half, you wondered if it was the right decision for him to be out there at all.
Daniel Ochefu, Villanova’s senior center, hobbled through five ineffective minutes in the first half of the Wildcats’ Big East Tournament semifinal against Providence Friday night, slowed by a sprained right ankle he originally injured two weeks ago, aggravated at practice Tuesday, then re-injured again against Georgetown on Thursday.
Through 1½ games in the Big East Tournament, Ochefu -- averaging 10.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game -- had no points and one rebound in 18 minutes of play.
When top-seeded and No. 3 Villanova desperately needed him? When Providence had cut a 14-point lead down to two and Villanova was saddled with foul trouble? When a berth in the Big East title game appeared to be slipping away?
Ocher found a way.
“There was definitely a question whether I was going to play, but I got all the treatment, and they said I was good to go," he said.
“Thank God it wasn’t a noon game. I’ll take every hour.”
Ochefu scored all eight of his points in a three-minute span down the stretch, as Villanova held off a furious Providence rally and beat the Friars 76-68 at Madison Square Garden (see Instant Replay).
Villanova led 52-38 with 10 minutes to go when Providence went on a 15-3 run to close to within two points.
That’s when ‘Nova head coach Jay Wright told his guards to get the ball inside to Ochefu.
Bad leg and all.
Ochefu’s strong baskets in the paint and a couple foul shots helped the Wildcats extend the lead back out to nine at 65-56, and Josh Hart -- saddled with foul trouble all night -- finished off the Friars, scoring 10 of his 12 points in the final 1½ minutes.
“That’s our leader,” Hart said. “That’s who we’re going to live and die with. To see him get out there, obviously on a hurt ankle, but just for him to get out there and give us everything he has, it just shows how much of a leader he is. How bought-in he is.
“He doesn’t care about stats, averages, points, rebounds, anything like that. He cares about the success of this team and that’s what he showed. Came in, bum leg, and gave us everything he had.”
Ochefu only played 15 minutes. Darryl Reynolds started and was strong in the post most of the game, with six points and eight rebounds in a 24-minute run.
But down the stretch, Ochefu found a way to carry Villanova to its second straight Big East title game.
“He was in pain today,” Wright said. “We had to make a decision in our preparation. Do we prepare with Darryl being in there? When you do, you have to prepare for playing small if you don't have Daniel.
“We told Daniel, ‘Get out there and warm up. See how you feel.’ And he said, ‘I want to try it.’ Went in in the first half. He was OK. His adrenaline got going there in the second half and I think the pain went away.
“He was great. He was the difference down the stretch.”
The Wildcats will face Seton Hall at 5:30 p.m. Saturday in the championship game. ‘Nova is trying to become the first school since Syracuse in 2005 and 2006 to win the tournament in consecutive years.
“If it was good in warmups, I’d play,” Ochefu said. “If it wasn’t good, I wouldn’t play. Second half, the adrenaline started pumping. I barely felt it in the second half.
“It felt real good. Whatever I could do, whatever I could give, whatever I could contribute, just happy to do what I could.
“Ice numbed me up,” he said. “I can’t feel it right now.”
Kris Jenkins led Villanova with 21 points and Ryan Arcidiacono contributed 15 points, four assists and a career-high-tying seven rebounds. With Hart and Jalen Brunson in foul trouble, Phil Booth and Mikal Bridges both made big contributions off the bench.
But the 6-foot-11 Ochefu was the key.
When Providence threatened, Ochefu was huge.
“I've seen it for four years,” Arcidiacono said. “He's a tough guy. If he's on the floor, he's going to give it all he has. For him to make those plays it's just big. He's a big-time player.
“It was just great to have him out there to be able to finish and make those free throws.”
Villanova improved to 29-4, matching the third-most wins in school history. Providence, which beat Villanova at the Wells Fargo Center in January, fell to 23-10.
How bad is Ochefu hurting?
Hart laughed when he was asked that question.
“I know right now he’s feeling pretty well,” Hart said. “Tomorrow might be a different story, but he helped the team win, so he’s feeling great right now.”