Reynolds: Cats not losing confidence

PITTSBURGH - Scottie Reynolds answered the question with purpose, as if trying to beat a double team.

Villanova's senior guard was asked yesterday if the Wildcats were losing confidence after their second straight defeat, 70-65, to Pittsburgh at the Petersen Events Center.

"No, I don't think it's that," he said. "As a leader of the team, I've got to take that upon myself, and I have to learn and remind myself what the seniors did last year. They put us in a great position, taking ownership of the team, taking ownership of a loss, and taking ownership of us getting better each and every day.

"I can't hang my head, and I can't let the other guys hang their heads, either. We have to get back up and just get better, and everybody is going to get better. That's one thing I can promise you."

Reynolds referred to last year's seniors, Dante Cunningham, Dwayne Anderson, and Shane Clark, whose leadership helped carry the Wildcats to a 30-8 record and the NCAA Final Four.

While Villanova (22-4, 11-3 Big East) remains in second place in the conference despite yesterday's loss, it has dropped back-to-back games for the first time since Feb. 2 and 4, 2008. The Cats, whose ranking will slip today from No. 3, have four games remaining in the regular season, including Saturday's eagerly anticipated contest at Syracuse.

Coach Jay Wright echoed Reynolds' feeling that there's no reason to worry about the team's confidence.

"I just think this is part of the Big East season," Wright said. "I think we keep getting better, I really do. I think we have to keep getting better. We're going to learn again.

"I don't want to learn this way," from losses, he added, "but I think we have a good team. I think we have some answers."

Reynolds kept up his scoring pace yesterday with 20 points, but Wright is looking for the rest of the Wildcats to step up. The deep bench was outscored for the fourth straight game. Three-point sniper Corey Stokes is 5 of 23 from deep in his last five contests.

"Sometimes you play like a Final Four team," Wright said. "Right now, we're not. But we could be again."

"I know we have a lot of young guys that need to get better, and I know we have some upperclassmen that need to be more consistent, too."

Notes. The Wildcats lost for the seventh straight time in Pittsburgh, where they haven't won since 1996. . . . Brad Wanamaker (Roman Catholic) and Nasir Robinson (Chester) started for Pitt and scored four points each. Wanamaker, the team leader in assists, dished out four.