MBB Minute -- Hart's 37 Carries Villanova, Martin Leads Butler To Wins Over Ranked Foes
BIG EAST teams compiled a 5-2 record on Saturday, which included No. 1/1 Villanova and No. 16/15 Butler defeating ranked opponents.
Josh Hart’s career-high 37 points lifted Villanova (10-0) to a 74-66 victory over No. 23/22 Notre Dame in the Never Forget Tribute Classic at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Hart also pulled down 11 rebounds. His point total was the most by a Wildcat since Maalik Wayns scored 39 points in a January game against Cincinnati in 2012.
Kelan Martin’s 20 points propelled Butler (9-1) to a 75-65 win over No. 22/23 Cincinnati before a sold-out Hinkle Fieldhouse. Andrew Chrabascz added 12 points five assists and four rebounds. The Bulldogs, who were coming off their first loss of the season, are 18-3 under coach Chris Holtmann after a defeat.
No. 13/14 Xavier improved to 8-2 with a 77-69 victory over Utah in front of a sellout at Cintas Center. Trevon Bluiett and J.P. Macura led the scoring with 18 points apiece. Rashid Gaston finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds.
Providence upped its record to 8-2 after defeating Massachusetts 75-69. Rodney Bullock led the way with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Emmitt Holt added 18 points and six boards.
Georgetown has a four-game winning streak after defeating La Salle 93-78 in the HoopHall Invitational in Miami, Fla. L.J. Peak scored 24 points and Rodney Pryor added 19 points. Jessie Govan helped with 18 points and six rebounds in only 18 minutes.
Marquette lost to No. 17/17 Wisconsin 93-84. Freshman Markus Howard scored a team-high 22 points. The Golden Eagles led 40-35 at halftime, but could not hold on for the win.
DePaul, down by 25 points to Temple in the first game of the HoopHall Invitational, fell short in its comeback and lost 74-65. The Blue Demons cut the deficit to five points in the final minute. Eli Cain led DePaul with 17 points.
Sunday’s schedule has only one contest. St. John’s plays LIU-Brooklyn at Barclays Center at noon on FS1.