VILLANOVA, Penn. _ On opening night in the Big East, Villanova's Collin Gillespie provided experience, leadership, tenacity and a measure of calm Monday night in front of another packed house at Finneran Pavilion.
Gillespie, the top Wildcat in terms of number of career Big East games played, scored 24 points and dished out five assists to lift his 10th-ranked team to a 68-62 victory over Xavier, extending Villanova's streak in conference openers to eight wins.
Gillespie, who shot 9 of 22 from the field with three three-point baskets, provided the offense. Defensively, the Cats (10-2) put on a team effort as they spent the entire night trying to keep the Musketeers (11-3) out of the paint.
Xavier did not make a three-point basket until the game's final minute but scored at will in the paint, outscoring the Cats there 46-28, and kept its foot on the pedal to keep threatening after Villanova took a 63-51 lead on Saddiq Bey's three-pointer with 3 minutes, 50 seconds to play.
The Musketeers got as close as four, 66-62, with 21.2 seconds left but free throws by Justin Moore and Bey sealed the deal.
