Villanova’s skid continues against No. 9 Marquette who sensed Nova Nation has ‘lost confidence’

The feeling was unspoken in a sleepy Finneran Pavilion. Students wore masks and pajamas. Villanova responded in kind, letting No. 9 Marquette score the first 11 points of the game.

Marquette went up 20 as Villanova rubbed sleep from its eyes. No longer in a lucid state, the Wildcats were down just by four after they rampaged into the second half.

But it was Marquette’s All-American guard Tyler Kolek who woke last — and woke loudest, hitting four consecutive threes in front of a jeering Villanova student section to spark an 85-80 Marquette win.

Villanova (11-10, 4-6 Big East) has now lost five consecutive games, its first five-game losing streak since 2011. The streak has led to questions that will keep program figures up at night.

College basketball statistician Evan Miyakawa tracks 10-0 runs over the season. He found that Villanova gives up more 10-0 runs than any other top-75 team and more than all but one power conference team — each by a wide margin.

Just 10 days ago against top-ranked UConn, Villanova allowed the Huskies to open with a double-digit lead on the road. Against UConn, Villanova came back. Against UConn, Villanova fell short again.

The slow starts are more than a worrying coincidence for Villanova — they’ve become a trend.

“We just couldn’t get stops to start the game,” Wildcats coach Kyle Neptune said. “Just couldn’t get it done. Couldn’t get rebounds, couldn’t keep them out of the paint. Just couldn’t get stops.”

» READ MORE: Slumping Villanova is officially floating on the NCAA Tournament bubble

Villanova’s 31-10 run to end the first half and start the second was impressive, but it was only necessary because of how much it struggled to start the game. Demoted starter Mark Armstrong, who sparked the run, finished with 16 points and eight rebounds, albeit on 5-18 shooting.

Eric Dixon and TJ Bamba led Villanova with 24 points each. The team had seven turnovers, shot nearly 40% from the field, and made all 17 of its free throws, but it wasn’t enough. A late 9-0 run gave Marquette the lead for good, and while Villanova got within three with a 9-0 run of its own, the Wildcats never got any closer.

Of Marquette’s (16-5, 7-3) first 23 points, 11 were scored by Kolek. He danced through defenders, forced turnovers and scored on the fastbreak. He hit a layup for Marquette’s 30th point, then went cold, missing four consecutive shots and going nearly 15 minutes of game time without scoring.

His fourth, a layup, hit nothing. The student section chanted “Airball.” Kolek couldn’t help but smile.

“I love that stuff,” Kolek said.

Over the next three minutes, Kolek hit four threes and assisted another. After each, he gestured to the students, bringing a finger to his lips. The student section provided fuel. Kolek brought matches.

Kolek finished with a game-high 32 points, six rebounds, and nine assists in 39 minutes. Postgame, he admitted the students provided motivation, while Villanova’s losing streak provided confidence.

“We knew they were gonna come out desperate,” Kolek said.

In three years at Marquette, Kolek has never lost to Villanova. The Wildcats have now lost six consecutive games to the Golden Eagles, dating to February 2021.

Kolek drew confidence from a place that may have sapped Villanova’s own confidence — the boo birds were out at Finneran Pavilion. Fans booed the Wildcats amid the early Marquette run, but those weren’t the first boos. Those came during introductions when Neptune was announced.

Neptune said he didn’t hear them, but Kolek did.

“We looked at each other, like, ‘These fans lost confidence in him? Let’s go at ‘em. Let’s take that confidence,’” Kolek said. “That adds something to us.”

Villanova is in desperate need of a win, both for its confidence and for its NCAA tournament hopes. Its next chance comes Sunday when Providence (14-6, 5-4) comes to Wells Fargo Center (6 p.m, CBSSN).

In the meantime, bigger questions swirl. Neptune and Villanova know that all too well.