Villanova Holds Off Marquette, 94-85 In OT

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Ryan Arcidiacono had 20 points and 11 assists, and coolly guided No. 4 Villanova in overtime following a frenzied finish to regulation of a 94-85 victory over Marquette on Saturday.

Arcidiacono had six points and two assists in the extra period. He hustled for a loose ball with 37.7 seconds left that allowed Villanova coach Jay Wright to call a timeout and avoid a turnover.

James Bell, who finished with 30 points, followed with two free throws to make it a three-possession game for the Wildcats (17-2, 6-1 Big East).

Todd Mayo had 18 points including the last 10 in regulation for Marquette (11-9, 3-4) to help force overtime at 77-77.

A layup by Villanova's Tony Chennault with 1 second left in regulation was waved off by the officials after Steve Taylor, Jr., drew a charging foul.

Wright pleaded with the officials while Marquette's fans erupted in jubilation.

Arcidiacono helped his coach forget about the frantic ending, and Villanova snapped Marquette's 20-game winning streak in home conference games.

Marquette's last loss at home to a Big East foe was 67-60 to Cincinnati on March 2, 2011. The Golden Eagles had the third-longest such streak in the country entering Saturday behind Gonzaga and Weber State, who were both at 23 games.

The hard-fought win for Villanova at one of the toughest venues in the league helped ease the sting of a humbling 28-point loss at home earlier in the week to Creighton.

Darrun Hilliard had 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting for Villanova.

Davante Gardner had 29 points and 13 rebounds for Marquette.

The Wildcats frustrated Marquette early with jumpers, but Gardner led the Golden Eagles' push in the paint to stay within a possession or two for much of the second half.

Villanova turned away every run — until the end of regulation. The Wildcats kept it interesting after missing 5 of 7 from the free throw line in a stretch in the final 1:11.

Mayo followed a running jumper with a 3 from the corner to get Marquette within 75-74 with 13.2 seconds left.

Arcidiacono responded with two free throws, but then fouled Mayo on 3-point attempt at the other end with 4.8 seconds left.

Mayo hit all three free throws — the last one tantalizingly bouncing on the rim a couple times before falling through for a 77-77 tie.

It set up Chennault's contested drive for a potential game-winner, but the officials' charging call whipped the crowd into a frenzy.

Overtime had seemed unattainable after JayVaughn Pinkston's dunk gave Villanova a 68-57 lead with 4:53 to play.

But the Golden Eagles fought back in their third straight overtime game before falling short.

Villanova allowed an opponent to shoot at least 50 percent from the field a second straight game, a startling statistic for a team that prided itself on holding teams under that mark for 47 straight games.

While Creighton did its damage from the perimeter, Marquette pounded the ball inside with a 54-30 advantage in the paint. The bullish 6-foot-8 Gardner led the way, shooting 9 of 16.

Marquette, though, wasted opportunities at the free throw line, especially in regulation, and finished 21 of 31 for the game.

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