Villanova looks to avenge loss vs. reeling Creighton
Villanova's season of redemption has incurred few blemishes, and the Wildcats have the opportunity to remedy one of them Saturday afternoon when they take on Creighton in Omaha, Neb.
First-year coach Kevin Willard has Villanova on the cusp of its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2022, when Jay Wright's swan song concluded with his fourth Final Four appearance.
After three subpar seasons compared to Wright's program standards, the Wildcats (19-5, 10-3 Big East) are back on track, having won four straight games.
Tyler Perkins, who leads the team in scoring, had 22 points and eight rebounds and Acaden Lewis added 15 points and five assists as Villanova knocked off visiting Marquette 77-74 on Tuesday.
"The growth has been fun to watch. It's a great group to be around. They work hard, bring a great attitude. To put ourselves with 10 wins and three losses in Big East play is not me," Willard said. " ... I think we've matured a lot. Acaden is playing like one of the best point guards in the country.
After making just three starts and averaging 6.3 points last season, Perkins has emerged for Villanova, especially during the Big East portion of the schedule. He is averaging 13.5 points, 15.8 in conference play and 18.0 over the last eight games.
The Wildcats are 5-1 away from home in conference play, with their only true road losses coming against Top-10 foes in Michigan and UConn. But the Bluejays (13-12, 7-7) have been a thorn in Villanova's side lately.
Creighton has won four straight in the series, including a 76-72 triumph at Villanova last month. Austin Swartz led the way in that game for the Bluejays with 20 points, followed by Josh Dix and Blake Harper with 17 points apiece.
However, the team is reeling late, dropping six of nine games since that victory. Last time out, Creighton had a 72-71 setback at DePaul on Wednesday. Swartz led the Bluejays, who saw their 23-game win streak against the Blue Demons come to an end, with 15 points.
"Just really unfortunate, because we shot the ball well," Creighton coach Greg McDermott said. "We did some good things well, but free-throw block-out, second-chance points, at the rim, it's kind of a broken record. It's been our weakness all season long.