The Villanova Wildcats stomped all over the Xavier Musketeers, 69-52, to win the Big East tournament for the first time since 1995. The dominant win all but assures that Villanova will get a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Villanova wins 2015 Big East basketball tournament: Wildcats crush Xavier, 69-52
Villanova put an exclamation point on its quest for a No. 1 seed, running Xavier off the court in the Big East final.
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It was all Villanova in the first half, with the Wildcats out to prove they deserve a top seed. Xavier barely had time to settle in before Villanova raced out to a 30-16 lead. The Wildcats shot 52 percent from the field in the first half, compared to just 32.3 percent for the Musketeers. Villanova went into halftime leading 34-21.
The second half didn't go much better for Xavier, with Villanova opening up a 21-point lead at one point. The Wildcats were never threatened and the final 10 minutes were more or less a formality. Three Villanova players scored in double-digits, with Dylan Ennis leading the way with 16 points. The Wildcats ended the game with a shooting percentage of exactly 50, while Xavier only made 37.3 percent of its own field goals. Dee Davis and Jalen Reynolds led the Musketeers with 13 points apiece.
Xavier is still going dancing this year, and its resume is strong enough that this loss might not matter in the bigger picture. SB Nation’s Chris Dobbertean has them as a No. 6 seed in his latest bracket projection.
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