NEWARK, N.J. _ Jalen Brunson was going through a rare poor shooting night through most of Villanova's game against Seton Hall on Wednesday, but he sank the shots when they counted.
Brunson, who started 1 of 9 from the floor, scored a pair of key baskets in overtime as the fourth-ranked Wildcats barely escaped with a 69-68 victory over Seton Hall at the Prudential Center.
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Phil Booth and Mikal Bridges gave the Wildcats (26-4, 13-4 Big East) the early advantage in overtime, 60-55, with 3:25 to play. Brunson then hit a leaner in the lane and a jumper from the key and when Donte DiVincenzo hit a pair of free throws, the Wildcats had a seemingly safe 66-59 lead with 25.5 seconds left.
But Seton Hall's Eron Gordon followed with a 3-pointer and Villanova was whistled for a five-second violation when it failed to execute an inbounds pass. Miles Powell sank a layup and it was a two-point game, 66-64, with 14.4 seconds to play.
After Omari Spellman made one of two free throws, Khadeen Carrington hit a driving dunk to make it a one-point game. But an apparent steal by the Pirates on an inbounds pass was called a foul on Gordon and Brunson hit two free throws with 5.9 seconds left.
The Wildcats deliberately fouled as the Pirates came upcourt and Carrington put the game away with two free throws.
Bridges led the Cats with 23 points and Brunson added 14 _ 12 in the final four minutes of regulation and overtime. Carrington led the Pirates (20-10, 9-8) with 23.
Villanova had a 52-49 lead after Bridges stole the ball at midcourt and sped in for a layup with 46 seconds remaining in regulation. Seton Hall drew to within one when Carrington converted a pair of free throws at the 36.1-second mark.
On the Wildcats' next possession, Brunson went to the line for a one-and-one with 23.6 seconds remaining but missed the front end. Seton Hall called timeout and sent Carrington driving to the basket, where he was fouled by Bridges.
Carrington missed the first free throw and made the second to tie the game. The Wildcats had the last shot for the win but Brunson was double-teamed and DiVincenzo shot an off-balance 3 at the buzzer that had no chance.
The Wildcats held a 36-25 lead after freshman Collin Gillespie knocked down a 3-pointer with 12:47 to play but Seton Hall responded with a 14-2 run sparked by eight points from Myles Powell, who started the game 1-for-11.
Carrington hit a layup and an elbow jumper to give the Pirates a 39-38 lead with 7:44 to play, their first lead since the 18:09 mark of the first half. But the Wildcats responded with back-to-back 3-point baskets by DiVincenzo and Bridges to regain the lead 44-39 with just over six minutes left.
The visitors couldn't sustain their offense, however, and the Pirates went on another run, getting three straight baskets from Michael Nzei to take a 49-48 lead with 1:20 to play. But Brunson, who was only 1 for his first 9 from the field, made a jumper as 'Nova regained the advantage.
The Wildcats shot just 32.3 percent in the first half, and sank only 3 of 15 tries from 3-point territory, but they led by 24-18. The Pirates shot just 20.7 percent in the period, missing their final 14 attempts from the field. Starting guards Carrington and Powell combined to go 3 for 17.
Bridges led Villanova at the half with nine points, seven rebounds and three assists.
On their first two possessions of the second half, the Wildcats grew their lead to 10, 28-18, after Bridges hit a pull-up jumper and Omari Spellman followed up a Bridges miss. But a basket by Angel Delgado broke a run of 16 consecutive misses by the Pirates covering almost 11 minutes.
The Wildcats later led by 11 on Gillespie's 3-point basket with 12:47 left that gave them a 36-25 lead but five quick points by Powell, a layup and a 3-pointer, made it a six-point game once again.
Bridges got off to a strong start for Villanova, scoring the visitors' first seven points and nine of the first 11. The game was tied four times in the early going, the final time at 11 with 12:38 to play in the half.
A 3-point basket by Gillespie gave the Wildcats a lead they would hold for the rest of the period. It was followed by a conventional three-point play by Eric Paschall that gave 'Nova its largest lead of the half at six, 17-11, with 11:25 remaining.
The Wildcats didn't score for the next 4:23, missing seven consecutive shots during this time, and the Pirates closed to within a point. But Spellman knocked down a 3-pointer and Booth went end to end for a layup on back-to-back possessions and the Villanova margin was six once again at 22-16 with 6:39 remaining.
But each team would score just two points the rest of the half _ Villanova on a driving layup by Paschall, Seton Hall on two free throws by Carrington. The Pirates missed their last 14 shots from the floor and finished the half at 6 of 29, or 20.7 percent.
