Depsite playing without top scorer Maalik Wayns, the Villanova Wildcats stormed out to a 16 point halftime lead against the 25th-ranked and red hot Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday night. For the first time in eight games it looked as though the Irish would go down, but that all changed when they caught fire in the second half and forced overtime.
Notre Dame would outscore Villanova 14-10 in overtime to capture the 74-70 win. Pat Connaughton led the way for the Irish with 21 points, and was one of four starters in double figures for head coach Mike Brey. The Irish bench provided little in the way of a spark, contributing just two points on the evening.
Without Wayns, the Wildcats turned to freshman JayVaughn Pinkston, who nearly set a new career-high with 24 points. Guard Dominic Cheek added 19, but the Wildcats couldn't overcome the three point shooting of the Irish, who finished with 12 makes from beyond the arc as a team.
The loss sets Villanova back to 4-10 in the Big East and 11-15 overall.
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