VILLANOVA, Pa. _ Villanova's Big East schedule pops with some big-time early games _ Saturday at Creighton, next Wednesday at Butler. At both stops, the team's top national ranking will be very much at risk.
A home game first against DePaul? The schedule practically spelled it out _ finish off the 7-6 Blue Demons, head for the Midwest. Villanova fans couldn't have shown up at the Pavilion Wednesday expecting much of a fight in the actual Big East opener.
The risk factor here? Turned out to be off the charts. A hang-around special. As 'Nova's fans grew increasingly aggrieved and agitated, DePaul grabbed a lead late in the second half, traded it back and forth, and stayed in it until the final buzzer shot. Villanova held on, 68-65.
Josh Hart was the hero, doing nothing to hurt his national player of the year credentials. Hart nailed a 3-pointer off a Kris Jenkins screen, shot clock winding down, 9.5 seconds left. He finished with 25 points and already had provided an important late stretch, taking the ball strong into traffic on two straight possessions, earning a basket and then a three-point play. But DePaul scored before and after those plays. Villanova's lead was 61-60 with a minute and a half left.
Hart found another lane and another trip to the foul line, converted both. A DePaul drive ended with a Mikal Bridges block. Darryl Reynolds got a piece of that ball, too. Bridges grabbed it.
Except DePaul just didn't go away. Eli Cain from Willingboro whipped a pass inside, converted to draw within 63-62, 37 seconds left.
And even after that Hart 3-pointer, DePaul converted a three-point play to get within one. Jalen Brunson sank a couple of free throws with 4.4 seconds left, Villanova up three. DePaul got a really good buzzer look from Billy Garrett Jr., but his shot from above the top of the key hit off the backboard and caromed off the rim, ending things.
The back and forth had started earlier. A 3-pointer by DePaul's Tre'Darius McCallum had pulled the Blue Demons even and a tip-in by Joe Hanel put them ahead with just over six minutes left.
Brunson made a couple of big plays at Villanova's offensive end, splitting two defenders for a layup, drawing a body foul outside.
The hang-around portion started earlier in the half, DePaul within 39-35 with 15 minutes left, before Jenkins hit a 3 and Brunson scored on the break and again on a drive, and Villanova's defense had to turn up the pressure. A 51-39 lead looked safe.
Again, DePaul didn't go away and the Blue Demons were within 51-48 with under eight minutes left.
In the first half, shots and the turnovers were all spread around Villanova's lineup. Bridges had a couple of early 3s for Villanova, but with seven minutes left before halftime, the Wildcats were up by just 20-16, having made just 3 of 13 3-pointers overall.
Late in the half, the Cats were particularly sloppy with the ball. A deep Jenkins 3 put the Wildcats up 30-22 but they couldn't extend it, with some open looks not falling and the turnover count up to nine by the intermission. Hart was the only one of the seven regulars who didn't have one.
DePaul would have been right in it or ahead early except the Blue Demons took nine 3-pointers in the half and made none of them. After a slow offensive start, Cain, cold shooting lately, got going late in the half. The sophomore leads the Blue Demons with 18 points a game, but had made 3 of 28 shots in his previous two games. A deep second-half 3 drew DePaul close. The local guy was a big part of an unexpectedly interesting night. Welcome to the Big East.
