Villanova Basketball: 2018-19 keys for a Wildcats win at Georgetown

PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 03: Collin Gillespie #2, Eric Paschall #4, and Phil Booth #5 of the Villanova Wildcats celebrate their win against the Georgetown Hoyas at the Wells Fargo Center on February 3, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Villanova defeated Georgetown 77-65. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

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PITTSBURGH, PA – MARCH 19: Daniel Ochefu #23 of the Villanova Wildcats shoots a free throw in the second half against the Lafayette Leopards during the second round of the 2015 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Consol Energy Center on March 19, 2015 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

1. Exploit the free throw line

Outside of Gillespie’s star turn, the Hoyas and Wildcats were relatively even across the board statistically in Villanova’s 12-point victory.

The one area of the game where that wasn’t the case: foul shots.

Villanova made more free throws (20) than Georgetown even attempted (18). In a 12-point game, the nine-point advantage the Wildcats had at the charity stripe made a world of difference.

That trend should serve as little surprise. Teams that get to the free throw line have more opportunities to score. They also have the ability to dictate the pace of play, get into the psyche of opponents, and force the opposing team to bench players in foul trouble.

Villanova has a solid track record this season when they convert their free throws. According to Sports-Reference, when the Wildcats hit at least 16 free throws in a game, they’re 10-2. When they hit 19 free throws or more, they’re a perfect 5-0.

Getting to the free throw line early and often will go a long way in taking the crowd out of the game, allowing the Wildcats to dictate the action throughout the night.

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Georgetown will keep things close, if for no other reason than the motivation behind a home Big East game. But Wednesday’s contest is Villanova’s to lose.