Villanova starts 3rd week at No. 1

The thing you’ve got to love about Xavier is that it plays with a certain sense of hunger. It always is when the No. 1 team in the country comes to town. “This is breathtaking right now”.

A potent display of firepower helped lift No. 5 Xavier (25-3 overall, 13-3 BIG EAST) to a 90-83 victory over No. 1 Villanova on Wednesday night here.

Villanova (24-4, 13-2) couldn’t overcome foul trouble or Xavier’s balance, losing for only the second time in their last 18 games.

“I think this is one of best games they’ve played this year”, Villanova coach Jay Wright said.

SMU is 22-4 SU on the season, but unfortunately for the Mustangs, they are banned from post-season play. Then they make them better.

Davis put Xavier ahead 9-7 the lead with a 3-pointer from the corner off an assist from Sumner. Arcidiacono has shot 33.3 percent or worse in seven of his last nine outings as his scoring average (12.0) and shooting percentage (42.3) have dropped, although both are still career bests.

Jenkins finished with a game high 22 for the Wildcats despite playing less than four minutes in the second half.

To stay with the Wildcats in the Big East race, they must beat them to close within ½ a game.

The Musketeers had beaten every team except Villanova – going 0-6 – in the reconfigured Big East. In Wednesday’s Big East bash, their many qualities were on display. They just played a little bit better than us in each facet – a little bit better defensively, a little bit better offensively with making the extra pass, a little bit better on the boards.

Sumner fell hard in the opening minutes of Villanova’s 95-64 victory at Philadelphia on December 31 and was taken to a hospital with a concussion.

Xavier has been pretty solid in their last 12 games as well, winning 10 contests and three straight comfortable conference wins.

He made a driving bank shot to open the game on Wednesday, showing he was ready to make a difference.

Tipoff Wednesday at the sold-out Cintas Center in Cincinnati is 7 p.m. Villanova will be the first No. 1 team ever to play in the Cintas Center, which opened in 2000. “I wanted to do as much as I could”. His game reminds me a lot of former Villanova lead guard Maalk Wayns and neither guy is afraid to get in amongst the big and bang. The Wildcats had three players foul out.

Villanova leads the Big East at 13-1; Xavier is 12-3. Villanova shot 63.2% from the field, 52% from three-point land, and 90.9% from the free throw line. The Sooners host No. 24 Texas on Monday and Kansas hosts No. 10 West Virginia on Tuesday.

UCLA is the all-time leader with 134 weeks at the top – the last in 2006-07 – and Duke is next at 127, the last in 2012-13. Tonight, they threw five double-digit scorers at the nation’s top-ranked team, including two off a bench that contributed 34 points. She had just eight points at halftime.

Nathalie Fontaine led the Cardinals (18-8, 12-3) with 19 points. The Spartans dominated the glass 48-27 to make up for 21 turnovers.

Junior Josh Hart added 13 points for VU while freshman Jalen Brunson added 12 points.

Eastern Michigan 58, (at) Toledo 46: Cha Sweeney scored 18 with nine rebounds and Janay Morton scored 14 for Eastern (18-8, 9-6 Mid-American Conference).

No. 5 North Carolina 96, No. 11 Miami 71: Brice Johnson had 16 points and 15 rebounds as North Carolina regrouped from an emotional loss to rival Duke. Cassie Breen scored 22, Tinara Moore 21 and Jewel Cotton 13 for Central.

Steve Vasturia added 16 points and Demetrius Jackson had all 15 of his in the second half for the Fighting Irish (19-8, 10-5 Atlantic Coast Conference).