Rick Pitino’s win streak in the Big East is over.
Villanova held on down the stretch after nearly blowing a double-digit lead at Finneran Pavilion on Wednesday to pull off a stunning 73-71 upset win over No. 9 St. John’s. That win, which is the Wildcats’ best of the year after what’s been a largely disappointing run in the Big East, snapped the Red Storm’s 10-game win streak and opened up the race in the conference heading into the season’s final month.
The Wildcats nearly ran away with the game twice on Wednesday night. They jumped up by 10 points just before halftime, but the Red Storm rallied and cut it back within a single possession with a quick run before the break. Villanova opened up an 11-point lead midway through the second half, too, but then let St. John’s right back into it with a long 14-0 run.
St. John’s had multiple chances in the final minutes to retake control of the game, but it stumbled repeatedly and let the Wildcats hang in it, giving up multiple wide-open rebounds and committing bad turnovers. They finally took the lead off a clutch Simeon Wilcher 3-pointer just inside of the 30-second mark, but Tyler Perkins responded on the other end with a deep 3-pointer of his own. That put the Wildcats up by two points with just nine seconds left.
Wilcher had one last look at a game-winner for the Red Storm, from nearly the same spot he hit the previous one, but he was off the mark at the buzzer. That sealed the two-point upset win for the Wildcats.
Aaron Scott led St. John’s with 22 points in the loss, which dropped the Red Storm to 21-4 on the season. They had lost just a single conference game before Wednesday night and climbed into the top 10 in the national rankings for the first time in decades. Kadary Richmond added 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Wilcher finished with 12 points.
Wooga Poplar led Villanova with 22 points and six rebounds after shooting 9-of-14 from the field. Eric Dizon added 17 points, and Jordan Longino finished with 13 points. Villanova, after losing five of six, has now won three straight. The Wildcats hold a 15-10 record and are fighting for the final bye in the Big East conference tournament next month.
While Pitino’s group should be just fine — and still holds the edge in the conference entering Sunday’s matchup with No. 24 Creighton — Wednesday’s game should provide the Wildcats with a massive boost on their quest to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament for the first time under coach Kyle Neptune. If they can finish strong over the next few weeks, a tournament berth is absolutely in reach.
