MBB Minute – Villanova captured its third Battle 4 Atlantis crown with a comfortable 79-63 victory over Memphis. Connecticut, Xavier, Butler and Providence also tasted victory, while Seton Hall absorbed a defeat.
 
Villanova (6-1) pulled away from Memphis at the opening tip. The Wildcats raced to a 16-2 lead, led 44-16 by halftime and were up by as many as 35 points in the second half. Dixon, who had 34 points and 10 rebounds in a semifinal win over North Carolins, had 11 points and eight boards against Memphis. He was named the Tournament MVP. 
 
No. 5 UConn tied an NCAA record by winning its 23^rd straight non-conference game by double-digits after dispatching Manhattan 90-60 at XL Center. North Carolina won 23 straight in 2008-10. Tristen Newton set a school mark by compiling his third career triple-double with 15 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds.
 
Xavier also enjoyed a large margin of victory with a 100-75 win over Bryant. The Musketeers (4-2) led 49-25 at half and shot 55.9 percent from the field for the game. Quincy Olivari, Xavier’s second leading scorer (13.8), led five in double figures with 22 points.
 
Butler defeated Penn State 88-78 in its second game of the ESPN Events International. Pierre Brooks scored a career-high 26 points and made five 3-pointers. The Bulldogs (4-2) led 42-39 at half and did not relinquish the lead.
  
Providence (5-1) recorded a 78-64 victory against Lehigh behind the duo of Josh Oduro and Bryce Hopkins. Oduro scored 29 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Hopkins added 25 points and 14 boards.
 
For the second straight game at the Rady’s Children’s Invitational, Seton Hall had a rally fall short, losing 85-72 to Iowa. Down 17 points late in the first half, the Pirates got as close as four.  Dre Davis had a team-high 18 points and made the All-Tournament Team.
 
Saturday’s three-game schedule will be carried on FS2. Georgetown hosts Jackson State at noon ET. Holy Cross plays at St. John’s at 7 p.m. followed by Northern Illinois at DePaul at 9 p.m.