Box Score | VU Quotes | XU Quotes
By Sean Brennan
Special to BIGEAST.com
It’s more or less an official rite of spring. Villanova reaching the championship game of the BIG EAST Tournament this time each year is right up there with sunburn on Spring Break, regrettable Instagram photos from said Spring Break, Daylight Savings Time and that Saturday morning when you try on your summer clothes a little early and then gasp, “Oh God, I have some work to do.”
They all happen every spring. Like clockwork. And Villanova is just like that. Since the reconfiguration of the league prior to the 2013-14 season, the Wildcats have taken up residence in Saturday’s championship game in each of the four past seasons, winning three of them.
The Wildcats are the basketball equivalent of the the cherry blossoms in Washington D.C.
Xavier, on the other hand, has been no such sure thing this time of year. Unless if you’re talking about reaching the BIG EAST semifinals, which the Musketeers have done with amazing regularity. Friday night’s battle with top-seeded Villanova was the Musketeers’ sixth semifinal appearance, one for each year they have been in the conference.
But there was kingpin Villanova and fourth-seeded Xavier doing battle Friday night through 40 tense minutes, only to still need more time, like five minutes of overtime, before it could be determined if the Wildcats’ usual spring plans would remain the same or if the Musketeers would make their first trip back to the conference title game since 2015 under first-year coach Travis Steele.
Turns out, as a general rule of thumb it’s never a good idea to bet against Villanova - or Phil Booth for that matter.
Villanova got 28 points from Booth, and his senior sidekick, Eric Paschall, made a clutch tip-in at the end of regulation to send the game to overtime before sealing the deal with a pair of free throws with 3.1 seconds to play in OT as the Wildcats outlasted a very gutty Xavier team, 71-67, before a packed house of 19,812 at Madison Square Garden.
The game had everything you would expect of a high-stakes game in March. Clutch shooting, brilliant defensive plays, outstanding individual performances (see: Booth and Xavier’s Paul Scruggs) and a crowd so loud you could have landed a plane at midcourt and not heard a single rumble of the engine.
In short, it’s the kind of game basketball fans live for at this time of year.
“The atmosphere in the Garden, Friday night, semifinals, there’s just nothing like it in college basketball,” Villanova head coach Jay Wright said after the win. “The place was rocking. This is the best tournament in college basketball, it’s just an incredible place to play.”
For most of the night, however, it was the truckloads of Xavier fans that were having the better time at the Garden. The Musketeers (18-15) took the lead at 17-15 on a jumper by Paul Scruggs with 8:17 left in the first half and refused to give it back for the rest of regulation. Xavier even built leads as large as 10 points in the second half.
Every time Villanova seemed to be making a run, the Musketeers would have an answer and his name was either Scruggs or Zach Hankins. Scruggs, who set a Xavier team record for points in the BIG EAST Tournament with 28, seemed to be willing the Musketeers across the semifinal finish line. And when he wasn’t trying to slay the Villanova giant himself, it was Hankins, the grad student, who poured in 18 points with 12 coming in the second half.
“Scruggs as awesome,” Wright said. “(And Hankins), the whole game we didn’t have an answer.”
But when Hankins missed one of two free throws with 19.9 seconds to play in regulation and Xavier up, 58-56, it opened the door for the defending champions to make their move, and that move came when Paschall tipped in a Booth miss with seven seconds to go to knot the game at 58-all and send the game - and the frenzied crowd - to five bonus minutes of basketball.
“The bench was yelling at me, ‘offensive glass,’” Paschall said of the play. “And I saw Booth drive. I was one the weak side (and) most shots go off on the weak side. I was thinking aggressive rebounding and the ball was there. I just tipped it in and that was it.”
Not quite. There was still some overtime work to do before the Wildcats could claim their fifth straight trip to the title tilt. But Booth and Paschall, as expected, answered the bell just as they always do. The duo combined for 10 of Villanova’s 13 points in overtime with those two Paschall’s two free throws with 3.1 seconds left, icing the victory for the Wildcats.
The always reliable Booth just took things to another level late in regulation and in overtime.
“Just trying to stay aggressive,” Booth said. “Just trying to get in the lane and either make a pass or score. I was just trying to make a read on what the defense was giving me.”
Wright was a little more effusive in his praise of Booth’s brilliant performance.
“Right now the greatest ever,” Wright said to laughs. “It’s the only one I can remember right now. I couldn’t tell you another one right now. When you give me some time, but right now that was the greatest one I’ve ever seen.”
The Xavier defense, which gave very little throughout most of the game, gave just enough at the end which is why the Wildcats will look for yet another BIG EAST Tournament title Saturday night in what should be another packed and rowdy Garden. Just the way Wright likes it.
Xavier, perhaps, deserved a better fate as they held the lead for the last 28:17 of regulation time and had the defending champs on the ropes throughout much of the game. But the loss not only ends the Musketeers hopes of reaching the title game for the first time in four years, but also most assuredly ends their shot at an NCAA Tournament invitation. Even if Wright thinks Xavier could do some damage if it were to be selected.
“I don’t know all the tournament stuff, but that team could beat a lot of NCAA Tournament teams, a lot, the way they’re playing right now,” Wright said. “I think it’s a credit to (Xavier head coach) Travis (Steele) and their program.”
BIG PICTURE
Xavier: Despite a late push, it appears the Musketeers will miss the NCAA Tournament after making five consecutive appearances and 12 in the past 13 years. They were a No. 1 seed last year, but got off to a slow start this season under first-year coach Travis Steele and couldn't overcome a six-game losing streak in the middle of the Big East regular season.
Villanova: Improved to 13-2 in the Big East Tournament since the 2013-14 realignment. The Wildcats are in the championship game for the 10th time, tying Connecticut for third-most behind Syracuse (15) and Georgetown (13). Syracuse (1986-90) is the only other school to make it in five straight years.
UP NEXT
Xavier: Will hope for postseason bid Sunday, perhaps to the NIT.
Villanova: Split two regular-season meetings with Marquette in February, with each school winning at home. Also split with Seton Hall, losing 79-75 on the road in the regular-season finale last Saturday.