No. 1 Villanova knocked off by Xavier
CINCINNATI - When Villanova routed Xavier at the Pavilion on New Year's Eve, people wondered how much more competitive the game would have been had freshman point guard Edmond Sumner not left three minutes in after a scary fall that sent him to the hospital with a concussion.
CINCINNATI - When Villanova routed Xavier at the Pavilion on New Year's Eve, people wondered how much more competitive the game would have been had freshman point guard Edmond Sumner not left three minutes in after a scary fall that sent him to the hospital with a concussion.
On Wednesday night, before a record crowd of 10,727 at the Cintas Center, Sumner was back, well and healthy, for the rematch. The difference he made in the game - 19 points, nine assists, six rebounds - was immense in the fifth-ranked Musketeers' 90-83 victory over Villanova in the Big East game of the year.
The Wildcats (24-4, 13-2 conference), who saw a seven-game winning streak snapped, gave up a season-high for points and allowed Xavier (25-3, 13-3) to drain 50 percent of its field-goal attempts, the second-highest shooting percentage by an opponent this season.
The visitors struggled all night with fouls. Kris Jenkins scored 22 points in the first 20 minutes, 14 seconds of the game but went to the bench with 18:09 to play after picking up his third and fourth personal fouls in a 15-second span. When he returned at the 8:50 mark, he stayed on the court for all of three seconds before fouling out.
"It's frustrating because you want to be out there with your guys, your brothers," Jenkins said. "That's the frustration. . . . I have to learn from the ticky-tack fouls that I picked up, some situations where I could not foul and hopefully stay on the floor and continue to help our team in any way I can."
Daniel Ochefu sat for nine minutes of the second half with foul trouble.
The Wildcats never really had a No. 2 option offensively until late when they scored 18 points in the final three minutes, after trailing by 15, to keep the score respectable.
Josh Hart had 13 points but made just 4 of 13 shots. Ryan Arcidiacono, who scored 27 points in the season's first matchup, received plenty of attention and managed eight points to go with eight assists and seven rebounds in 39 minutes.
"They're an outstanding team," coach Jay Wright said. "They just played a little bit better in every facet - a little bit defensively; a little bit better offensively, making the extra pass; a little bit better on the boards. It wasn't just one thing. It was a little bit better commitment to the details, to the little things."
Sumner, a 6-foot-6 redshirt freshman, was at the heart of the offense for Xavier. One of the fastest players in the Big East, he repeatedly got into the lane and set up teammates on the wing and inside. The Musketeers scored 44 points in the paint, the most allowed all season by the Cats.
"He makes a big difference," Wright said. "He's a hell of a player. He got to the foul line 13 times. He's tough to keep out of the lane. He makes it easy for those shooters to get shots. He's a big difference maker."
Trailing 40-37 at halftime, the Wildcats tied it on the initial second-half possession on a conventional three-point play by Jenkins. They were still close at 51-50 before Xavier went on an 8-0 run, a stretch during which Ochefu went to the bench with four personals.
Xavier's margin from there slowly grew, almost in proportion with the decibel level of the crowd. Villanova hit a flurry of shots at the end but it was too late.
"We didn't defend well, didn't box out, gave up offensive rebounds and and-ones in transition," Wright said. "All that builds during the game and it costs you. But good teams do that, and you've got to give Xavier credit."
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