Justin Moore made a 3-pointer with eight seconds left in the second half and sixth-seeded Villanova escaped a huge upset by beating 24-point underdog DePaul 58-57 on Wednesday night to advance to the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament.
Jalen Terry’s pull-up jumper gave the Blue Demons (3-29) a 57-55 lead with 1:13 left, but DePaul could not pad its lead. Villanova was down two with 17 seconds left and came out of a timeout with a play to get Moore a good look from 3, and he swished the shot.
Villanova’s Justin Moore drills a CLUTCH 3-pointer to seal the game against DePaul and advance in the Big East Tournament
DePaul rushed down the court with no timeouts left, but couldn’t get off a shot, turning the ball over and ending its season with a 20-game losing streak.
The Wildcats (18-14) entered the Big East Tournament desperately in need of victories to pad their NCAA Tournament resume in their second season under coach Kyle Neptune.
Terry finished with 18 points to lead 11th-seeded DePaul.
The Blue Demons endured maybe the worst season in Big East history, becoming the first team to go 0-20 in the conference during the regular season. Coach Tony Stubblefield was fired in late January and replaced by assistant Matt Brady, who finished his stint without a win.
The Wildcats went up 52-50 on Eric Dixon’s 3 with 4:43 left in the second half, but Elijah Fisher muscled his way inside for a layup to tie it with 3:25 remaining.
Dixon scored 21 points to lead the Wildcats.
Da’Sean Nelson put DePaul up 55-52 on a three-point play with 1:52 left, but Dixon responded with a straight-on 3 to tie it moments later.
DePaul Blue Demons vs. Villanova Wildcats 2024 Big East Tournament Highlights | CBB on FOX
Reporting by The Associated Press.
[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]
FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience
Big East
DePaul Blue Demons
Villanova Wildcats
recommended
Big Ten, Big East, ACC and other conference tournament predictions, odds, picks
2024 Big Ten Basketball Tournament: Bracket, schedule, scores
UConn sweeps AP individual Big East awards after regular-season title
2024 Big East Tournament: Bracket, schedule, scores
Pitino Chronicles, Episode V: Big East Tournament is ‘most special’ in college hoops
2024 College basketball rankings: Houston remains on top, North Carolina moves up
Men’s AP Top 25: Houston, UConn, Purdue on top; UNC, Kentucky on the rise
2024 March Madness Schedule: Dates, locations, channels, how to watch
2024 College Basketball title odds: UConn still first, Houston continue to surge
Get more from College Basketball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Fox Sports – https://www.foxsports.com/stories/college-basketball/justin-moores-clutch-3-pointer-lifts-villanova-past-24-point-underdog-depaul-in-big-east
