Prime Big East basketball has taken shape. In an early Saturday afternoon contest, No. 2 UConn welcomed Villanova in a heavyweight showdown.
While the snowflakes hadn’t yet fallen on the East Coast, Villanova was cold heading into the game. Cold against ranked opponents.
While the ‘Cats possessed a 15-4 overall record, the team subsequently lacked a signature win. Against the second-best opponent in the country, it was their chance.
But in typical Dan Hurley fashion, he would not let Villanova escape Connecticut with a victory. After a tight slate of 40 minutes, five minutes of overtime granted the Huskies a 75-67 win.
Solo Ball warms up
The major story heading into the day surrounded Ball and his struggles. While the Huskies have been fine winning despite his underperformance, they would certainly need more against one of the conference’s best.
Villanova presented a major threat from deep, and UConn would be forced to counter. Last season, Ball led the Big East in three-point percentage, shooting above 41% from deep. This year, his shooting numbers have taken a major dip.
Still, Ball shooting at a subpar clip is better than most players on the court. On the season, he’s averaging close to 15 points per outing and has emerged as the veteran leader alongside Alex Karaban.
Ball has a knack for finding his spots, rather than settling. He settled in quickly, getting to mid-range areas and hitting those shots. Then, the three-point shooting followed. Early in the second half, Braylon Mullins went down with what appeared to be an elbow to the head from Acaden Lewis. After leaving the game, UConn was forced to adapt the game plan, and that, of course, started with Ball.
After finishing with 24 points and five rebounds, it seemed like he was destined to have a signature performance. His three-pointer in overtime killed the Wildcats and ended their momentum for good.
Villanova’s bench production
Unlike many other teams in college basketball, Villanova does not present a clear alpha. There’s the highly-touted true freshman in Lewis. Then, there’s Duke Brennan, who seemingly is the foundation of the team. And, you can’t forget Tyler Perkins, Bryce Lindsay or Matt Hodge, who can get hot on any given day.
However, it’s Villanova’s bench production that separates the team from the rest of the pool. As of recently, Devin Askew has been the difference maker. In Hartford, Connecticut, against the best opponent it faced all season, Askew came to play.
It was always about their three-point shooting, but the Wildcats displayed that ability in the hands of Askew. Villanova got out to an early lead, and not long after, UConn found its way back as Ball established the offensive rhythm.
Kevin Willard makes adjustments. One of his diamonds in the rough included the Long Beach State transfer who averaged 18.9 points per game last season. In his sixth year, Askew was expected to take on an unknown role with Villanova. That role became a bench position.
As someone who’s played the most amount of basketball on the team, this role couldn’t be too pleasing. Nonetheless, Askew has embraced it, becoming a focal point of Villanova’s bench production.
He was effectively the spark that elevated the Cats’ offense today. Despite his two crucial turnovers late in the game, Askew’s 13 points on 3-of-4 made triples were monumental.
Late game execution
Lead changes. Ties. Runs. Big East basketball.
There is nothing quite like it. UConn came into the game ranked No. 2 in the country; Villanova was unranked. Yet, the disparity was not that wide.
In the end, it came down to execution. Which team could win each possession at a more consistent clip? That answer was decided in the final possession of regulation. Both teams came up with defensive stands that forced overtime.
UConn, who was 6-1 in games decided by five-or-less points, held the advantage over Villanova who was 2-2 in that department.
Perkins began the period with a three, but UConn fired back as Karaban came alive. Tarris Reed then fouled out, and shortly after, Askew fouled out. Like a pendulum, it was back and forth.
The experience tends to win. Villanova suffered a brutal 4:48-minute drought, and UConn had it when it mattered most. Ball and Karaban took matters into their own hands, and Silas Demary Jr. placed the cherry on top.
UConn is rightfully 9-0 in the Big East and 19-1 overall.