No. 1 Villanova leads by 44, beats Ewing, Georgetown 88-56 After watching Villanova make 3-pointer after 3-pointer and build a hard-to-fathom lead -- 20, then 30, eventually all the way up to 44 -- Georgetown coach Patrick Ewing did not want to offer any sort of assessment about what this game indicates about his team's status in relation to the No. 1 Wildcats. Understandably "I'm not even thinking about that," Ewing said. "All I'm thinking about is that they're a good team and tonight was their night. That's it." Wright and Villanova gave Ewing a rude welcome back to the schools' rivalry, handing the Hoyas their worst loss in more than 40 years, 88-56 on Wednesday night. read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400988577
Reserve Harrell leads Creighton past No. 19 Pirates 80-63 The way Creighton let a road win slip away at Seton Hall last month surely provided motivation for the Bluejays for Wednesday night's rematch. If that weren't enough, the Bluejays also had redemption on their minds after an ugly 22-point loss at Xavier last weekend. With Marcus Foster scoring 25 points and reserve Ronnie Harrell Jr. adding a career-high 18, Creighton unleashed some pent-up fury in an 80-63 win over No. 19 Seton Hall. read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400988578
Top-ranked Villanova routs former Big East rival UConn 81-61 Top-ranked Villanova didn't shoot particularly well against UConn, but routed their former Big East rivals thanks to defense and rebounding. Jalen Brunson scored 23 points and Donte DiVincenzo added 17 points off the bench to lead the Wildcats to an 81-61 win, completing their non-conference schedule at 13-0. read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400988073
JP Macura sends No. 11 Xavier past No. 19 Seton Hall 73-64 Xavier guard J.P. Macura was booed by the sellout crowd at Prudential Center before playing No. 19 Seton Hall, booed every time he touched the ball and cheered at almost every mistake. Not only didn't it bother him, he got the final say. Macura had a spectacular one-handed dunk on a late rebound to highlight a season-high 27 points, and No. 11 Xavier handed Seton Hall its first loss at home by rallying from a 10-point second-half deficit to beat the Pirates 73-64 on Saturday. read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400988582
Paschall scores 17, leads No. 1 Villanova past Providence Jay Wright gave his NFC championship game tickets to his kids. They sent Wright and his wife photos from the Philadelphia Eagles' romp over the Vikings and texted updates on all the fun they had at the Linc. Who wouldn't want to ditch the parents to root on the Birds? Even Villanova's coach knows the top team in the nation is no match in Philly fandom compared to the team in green. With Philadelphia swept up in a Super Bowl frenzy, No. 1 Villanova showed again why city sports fans can also brag about having the best team in college basketball. Just across the street from where the Eagles clinched a Super Bowl berth, the Wildcats used a 22-2 run in the first half to cruise to their sixth straight win, 89-69 over Providence on Tuesday night. read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400988584
Goodin leads surge, No. 8 Xavier routs Marquette 89-70 Four straight impressive wins -- each led by a different player -- have No. 8 Xavier back in form at the midpoint of the Big East season. Point guard Quentin Goodin scored 13 of his team-high 15 points while Xavier took control in the first half, and the Musketeers routed Marquette 89-70 on Wednesday night to remain unbeaten at home. read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400988586
Brunson, No. 1 Villanova hold on, beat Marquette 85-82 Called on to start, Donte DiVincenzo supplied Villanova with a lift from the opening tip and never let up. The top-ranked Wildcats avoided another upset in Milwaukee by surviving an injury scare to preseason All-American Jalen Brunson and getting key contributions from DiVincenzo in place of sidelined guard Phil Booth. Brunson scored 31 points despite leaving briefly with an ankle injury, while DiVincenzo added 23 and a key bucket late in an 85-82 win Sunday over Marquette. read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400988590
No. 6 Xavier beats St. John's; Red Storm 0-11 in Big East After starting slow at times this season, No. 17 Ohio State didn't waste time jumping all over Indiana on Tuesday night. Indiana's Zach McRoberts hit two quick shots, one of them a 3-pointer, in the first 1:14 to put the Hoosiers up by one, but Ohio State reeled off a 10-0 run and didn't relinquish the lead again in a 71-56 victory for the Buckeyes. read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400986538
No. 1 Villanova thumps Creighton 98-78 for 8th straight win Collin Gillespie squeezed a stress ball in his dorm room to improve the grip on his injured left hand. Now he has a hold on the role as Villanova's sixth man -- healthy and hopeful he can do his part to lead the Wildcats to yet another Big East title. Mikal Bridges scored 21 points and Jalen Brunson had 19 to lead No. 1 Villanova to its eighth straight win, 98-78 over Creighton on Thursday night. read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400988595
Bluiett has 31, No. 6 Xavier beats Georgetown 96-91 in OT Trevon Bluiett got off his 3-pointer and felt the foul. The ball went in, he went down, and No. 6 Xavier had the big play it needed to pull one out. Bluiett had a season-high 31 points, including a four-point play that tied it late in regulation, and the Musketeers never trailed in overtime while holding on for a 96-91 victory over Georgetown on Saturday. read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400988598
St. John's hands No. 4 Duke second loss in 8 days, ends 11-game skid That's two losses in three games for No. 4 Duke -- and this one to a team that hadn't won since Christmas. Shamorie Ponds scored 33 points and St. John's stunned the Blue Devils 81-77 at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, snapping an 11-game losing streak and handing a suddenly suspect Duke squad its second defeat in eight days. read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400986238
No. 1 Villanova tops Seton Hall 92-76, fans chant for Eagles Villanova turned the site of its latest romp into the scene of a Super Bowl pep rally. The final horn caused a celebration -- not just because the Wildcats won, but to signal the certain Eagles bash ahead. Omari Spellman hit six 3 pointers and had 26 points, 11 rebounds and helped No. 1 Villanova kick off a rousing day in Philadelphia sports with a 92-76 win over Seton Hall on Sunday. read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400988599
Bluiett helps No. 5 Xavier get past Butler 98-93 in OT Trevon Bluiett made his final hometown appearance his best yet. He scored 26 points, led his team back from the brink and eventually headed home with a win. The former Indianapolis high school star scored 17 points in the final 14 minutes of regulation and overtime to help No. 5 Xavier rally from two embarrassing collapses and escape with a 98-83 win at Butler on Tuesday night. read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400988600
St. John's shocks Villanova for first win over No. 1 team since '85 St. John's watched a desperation heave clang off the rim and players broke into wide smiles and raised their arms in triumph. The Red Storm ran toward their reserves for joyous, leaping chest bumps that the program waited more than three decades to bust out for such an occasion. Winless and woeful no more, the Red Storm are abruptly toppling Final Four contenders. St. John's took down another of the nation's elite, and stunned No. 1 Villanova79-75 on Wednesday night for its second win over a top-five team this week -- and first over the top-ranked team in 33 years. read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400988603
Quentin Goodin caps career day with game-winning FTs for No. 5 Xavier With his team trailing by a point, Xavier's Quentin Goodin was bumped as he drove to the basket. Suddenly, he heard the sweet sound of the referee's whistle with three-tenths of a second showing on the clock. "Every kid's dream," Goodin said. "Everybody wants to be in that situation. On the road, down ... and your free throws are the game winners. I don't think it's any better than that." Goodin swished both, allowing the fifth-ranked Musketeers to hold off Creighton72-71 on Saturday. read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400988607
Donte DiVincenzo, Jalen Brunson lead Villanova past Butler Trailing by double digits and missing two key starters, No. 1 Villanova was plummeting toward its worst week in five years. Donte DiVincenzo wouldn't let it happen. DiVincenzo scored a career-high 30 points, Jalen Brunson had 27, and No. 1 Villanova bounced back from its second loss of the season, rallying past Butler86-75 Saturday. read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400988606
Bluiett scores 37, No. 4 Xavier beats Seton Hall 102-90 Trevon Bluiett followed his worst shooting performance of the season with a can't-miss showing, keeping Xavier atop the Big East with a huge game ahead. Bluiett scored 37 points -- three shy of his career high -- and the Musketeers let most of a 25-point lead slip away before holding on for a 102-90 win over Seton Hall on Wednesday night, tightening their hold on first place in the league. read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400988614
Cartwright's 17 helps Providence stun No. 13 Villanova 76-71 Providence will need to play its best basketball of the season down the stretch if it hopes to earn its fifth straight NCAA tournament bid. The Friars just took a big step toward that goal. Kyron Cartwright scored 17 points and the Friars withstood several late surges to stun third-ranked Villanova 76-71 on Wednesday night. read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400988612
Big East showdown: No. 3 Villanova 95, No. 4 Xavier 79 With the Big East's bragging rights at stake, Villanova showed it's not ready to relinquish its reign. Mikal Bridges led an early 3-point shooting spurt that put Villanova in control, and the third-ranked Wildcats beat No. 4 Xavier 95-79 on Saturday in a showdown for control of the league. read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400988616
Marshall helps No. 4 Xavier beat Georgetown 89-77 Despite winning four straight games in the nation's capital, Xavier coach Chris Mack is happy that the Big East has never held its conference tournament in DC. His leading scorer, Trevon Bluiett, has scored over 2,000 points in his Musketeers career but he's combined for just three points in his last two visits to Washington. Naji Marshall led three Musketeers in double figures with a career-high 21 points as No. 4 Xavier beat Georgetown 89-77 on Wednesday as Bluiett failed to reach double-figures for just the second time this season. read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400988620
