Observations from Villanova’s confident win over DePaul

In the first 20 minutes against DePaul, Villanova showed both why it is under .500 and just how good it can be when everything clicks.

The Wildcats started slow, allowing the Blue Demons to shoot 70% from the field and race to a nine-point lead. Then, with Jay Wright and former Villanova star Jalen Brunson watching on the sidelines, the Wildcats conjured memories of Villanova basketball at its finest, snapping off a 21-4 run to take the lead.

The performance then reverted to the mean and the Wildcats battled the Blue Demons for most of the second half, but in the end, Villanova was at its best in the final minutes to earn an 81-65 victory and snap a three-game skid.

Over Villanova’s three-game losing streak, the Wildcats (11-13, 5-8 Big East) have combined for four field goals in the final five minutes of games. On Wednesday, they hit the 5-minute mark up seven. They finished the game on an 11-0 run, making five of their last eight shots.

“We played harder for longer,” coach Kyle Neptune said. “Past games, we might have given 25, 30 [minutes]. I thought today, I can’t say [we played] a full 40, but maybe 34, 35.”

Justin Moore said Villanova had struggled to meet teams’ intensity over the streak, but he echoed what Neptune said postgame.

“Like Coach said, we have to play harder longer,” Moore said. “That’s what we’ve been trying to work on all season.”

Villanova’s increased intensity was clearest on the defensive end. It was the Blue Demons (9-16, 3-11) who made just one field goal over the final 5 minutes, missing their last six attempts.

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The late run was led by veterans. Graduate guard Caleb Daniels hit consecutive attempts from three to help the Wildcats break away.

Daniels was Villanova’s leading scorer with 18 points, but he wasn’t alone. All five Villanova starters were in double figures. Moore and Cam Whitmore had 17, while Eric Dixon had a near double-double with 13 points and eight rebounds. Brandon Slater scored 10.

While Daniels was efficient, shooting 70% (7-for-10) from the field and 80% (4-for-5) from three, the headliner of the night was Moore, who was back to his pre-injury self, attacking the paint and creating space for the rest of the offense.

“I’m very biased, but when healthy, in my mind, he’s one of the best players in the country,” Neptune said. “You add that to a lineup, that helps everybody.”

The only blemish on Moore’s night was an 0-for-6 start from three-point range, but the senior guard made consecutive triples as part of Villanova’s late run. Moore was 2-for-10 from three, but 5-for-6 from inside the arc.

“I’m not really worried about my shot going in. I work on that every day. That’s gonna fall,” Moore said. “My main focus is just trying to compete at the highest level with my teammates.”

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The Wildcats had an efficient offensive night, shooting 51.7% from the field. However, it could have been even better. Villanova made 11-of-32 attempts from three (34.4%), but converted 20 of 28 from closer in.

Moore and Whitmore struggled from distance, but both dominated near the basket. Whitmore scored 10 of his 17 points on layups and dunks.

Villanova outscored DePaul by 10 in the paint, led largely by Dixon. Dixon grabbed eight rebounds and drew five fouls, causing DePaul’s Yor Anei to foul out. Villanova was plus-20 with Dixon on the floor.

The Wildcats play their next two games at home. Villanova hosts Seton Hall (15-10, 8-6) at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday (8 p.m., FS1), followed by a Tuesday matchup with Butler (12-13, 4-10) (8 p.m., CBSSN).