It was a grand finale for all three of the Wildcat seniors on Saturday afternoon.
The Musketeers got out to a 4-0 start, but Villanova (24-7) proceeded to go on a 23-5 run from there. That stretch, combined with a separate 15-2 run after that, allowed the Wildcats to go up 12 at halftime.
Villanova was sleepwalking defensively to start second half, allowing 17 Xavier points in the first five minutes. The Musketeers cut the lead to as little as six on multiple occasions, but as he usually does, Tyler Perkins made two critical three-pointers to push the lead back out. Those long-distance shots were part of an 11-0 run to get Villanova back to a 17-point lead with under eight minutes remaining.
The aforementioned seniors were the players of the game for the Wildcats. Duke Brennan recorded 20 points and 13 rebounds in his final home game of his college career, tying Villanova’s all-time record for double-doubles with Michael Bradley (14). To say that the 6’10” center has been a revelation would be an understatement.
Devin Askew, who moved back into the starting lineup for this game, nearly tallied a triple-double with 18 points, a season-high 8 rebounds, and a season-high tying 7 assists. The 6’5” guard shot 5/11 from deep. It will be interesting to see if Askew remains in the starting five, given Bryce Lindsay’s continued struggles (2 points on 1/5 shooting).
Even senior walk-on Wade Chiddick got in on the action, making two free throws with under a minute remaining. It was on the second game this year that Chiddick played in, and the first since November 11 against Sacred Heart. The 6’4” guard also made a free throw in that contest.
It wasn’t all about the upperclassmen in this one, as freshman Acaden Lewis scored 14 points and dished out a season-high 12 assists with only 1 turnover. Lewis’ previous high in assists was 8, which he accomplished on five occasions.
Fellow-freshmen Braden Pierce and Chris Jeffrey combined to score 10 points off of the bench, with Pierce setting a season-high with 6. Jeffrey played ahead of Lindsay at separate points throughout the afternoon.
Xavier was without its leading scorer Tre Carroll, who injured his hip in the previous game against Seton Hall. The senior was sorely missed. Jovan Milicevic had another 20-plus point outing against Villanova. The 6’10” sophomore scored 21 this time around, but on a less efficient 5/15 from the floor.
The Wildcats now move on to Thursday for the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament, where they await the winner of the 6 vs 11 game. Those opponents are still to be determined, but the game will be at 9:30 PM.