One tip-in of the basketball as the final buzzer sounded was all it took to change the result of the game for No. 12 Virginia, who lost 61-59 to No. 1 Villanova at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa. The highly awaited matchup between the Cavaliers (16-4, 6-2 ACC) and the reigning NCAA Champion Wildcats (20-2, 7-2 Big East) did not disappoint.
After sophomore guard Jalen Brunson made just two free throws in the first half, Virginia stifled Villanova’s offense, and the Wildcats did not regain a lead for the remainder of the first 30 minutes. Villanova missed 18 of 22 field goals and nine out of 10 three pointers, and the Cavaliers led 31-22 at the intermission.
Freshman guard Ty Jerome scored a career high 15 points to lead Virginia in scoring, while junior guard Marial Shayok and junior forward Isaiah Wilkins reached double figures with 14 and 12 points, respectively.
Virginia led by as many as 13 points in the second half before the Wildcats went on an 11-0 run to close the gap. The game was tied with just 11.5 seconds left when senior guard Josh Hart missed his layup and redshirt freshman guard Donte DiVincenzo tipped the ball in at the buzzer to give Villanova the victory. Brunson and sophomore guard Mikal Bridges each scored 15 points to lead the Wildcats.
While Villanova’s impressive second half run led the team to victory, there was a notable disparity in fouls called. The Cavaliers went three for three behind the line but didn’t take a foul shot in the second half as the Wildcats were only called for eight fouls over the course of the game. On the other hand, Villanova attempted 24 free throws and made 20.
Virginia will return to Charlottesville in hopes of regaining momentum with a win over in-state rival Virginia Tech Wednesday night in the Commonwealth Clash.
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