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Second half collapse dooms Wildcats to second straight loss
The Villanova Wildcats look to return to the win column on Saturday when they host the No. 14 Marquette Golden Eagles at 12 p.m. on ESPN2.
Villanova fell at Louisville on Wednesday, 84-74, to snap a two-game winning streak. The Wildcats were led by 19 points from Maalik Wayns and 13 points and 14 rebounds from James Bell, but allowed 45 second-half points in the defeat. Villanova's cause was aided by Mouphtaou Yarou, who had 10 points and seven rebounds, and JayVaughn Pinkston, who pitched in eight points and 12 rebounds.
Marquette has won five straight, all in Big East play, since falling consecutively to Georgetown and Syracuse in early January. The Golden Eagles trounced South Florida 67-47 on Wednesday behind Darius Johnson-Odom's 17 points, giving head coach Buzz Williams his 100th career victory.
For more Villanova Wildcats basketball, visit our team page or our blog The Nova Blog. Also check out Big East Coast Bias to whet your Big East appetite.
Villanova Vs. Marquette Final Score: Wildcats Lose 82-78
Villanova had a golden opportunity – no pun intended – to put an impressive win on their resume when they led the 18th ranked Marquette Golden Eagles by as many as 16 points in the first half and took a 10 point lead into the locker room. Coming in, the Golden Eagles had won five consecutive games and established themselves as one of the premier teams in the Big East Conference.
Ultimately, Villanova was unable to hang on to a double digit lead on their home floor, surrendering 46 second half points to the Golden Eagles en route to a four point loss. The Wildcats had five players score in double figures in their losing effort.
This is the second straight loss for the Wildcats. Their next game isn't until next Sunday, February 5, when they travel to Pittsburgh to face the Panthers.
For more Villanova Wildcats basketball, visit our team page or our blog The Nova Blog. Also check out Big East Coast Bias to whet your Big East appetite.
Jan 28 2:39p by Jordan Sams