Villanova on the end of another close, yet frustrating final score in a 66-61 road loss to Creighton

In a season that has so often come down to the final moments, Villanova got closer than ever before.

With the ball down one with 26 seconds to go, a Caleb Daniels turnover doomed Villanova who fell, 66-61, against Creighton in Omaha, Neb. The Wildcats made just one field goal in the final six minutes, a go-ahead Eric Dixon three with 34 seconds left as the Wildcats suffered its third straight loss.

During its losing streak, Villanova has made a total of four field goals in the games’ final five minutes.

Dixon led the Wildcats (10-13, 4-8 Big East) to near victory, scoring 20 points. Justin Moore continued progressing in his third game back after an Achilles injury, adding 13, while Daniels scored 12.

Star duo of guard Trey Alexander (27 points) and center Ryan Kalkbrenner (16 points) combined for 43 of the Bluejays’ 65 points.

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For the first 30 minutes, Villanova simply had no answer for Creighton’s “big fella in the middle,” as head coach Kyle Neptune described Kalkbrenner before the game, or its sharpshooting sophomore guard.

The 7-foot-1 center always was going to be a matchup nightmare for a team whose tallest rotation player is five inches shorter, but Kalkbrenner was dominant. He made 7 of 11 shots from the field and added four offensive rebounds, but his biggest impact was on defense, where he forced the Wildcats to attempt 25 threes instead of driving to the paint.

The Wildcats were in it late. With just 34 seconds to go, Villanova had the lead until Ryan Nembhard hit a layup for Creighton (15-8, 9-3) to regain the lead. Daniels’ turnover and a Dixon airball ensured the Wildcats’ loss and fell to 0-7 against Quad 1 opponents.

“They’re just a good team,” Neptune said. “They made the plays they needed to make, they executed what they needed to execute, and we didn’t.”

With 49 seconds to go, Dixon attempted a long jumper to beat the shot clock and tie the game. The ball spun around the rim, bounced up and off the backboard, around the rim again, then to the side, into the hands of Creighton’s Arthur Kaluma.

The agonizing near Nova win felt like a microcosm of Villanova’s season. Following the game, the Wildcats fell to 2-6 in games decided by five points or less.

Villanova returns home on Wednesday to play DePaul (8:30 p.m., FS1). The Blue Demons beat the Wildcats in January, their first win over Villanova since 2008.

Former Villanova and current New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson’s jersey will be retired at halftime. In three years at Villanova, Brunson won two national titles, starting 39 of 40 games as a freshman in 2016 and winning National Player of the Year for the title-winning 2018 squad. The game will also feature a pregame address from former head coach Jay Wright.

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