The Villanova Wildcats were down as many as 19 points in the second half against the Providence Friars on Tuesday night. JayVaughn Pinkston wouldn't quit, however, scoring Nova's final nine points on his way to a 28 points, 14 rebound game. His layup with 27 seconds to go was the final stake in the Friars' hearts, putting the Wildcats up 74-72 for good.
Villanova went on a 19-1 run in the middle of the second half to pull within one point of Providence. Pinkston grabbed six rebounds and had four points during the 8:03 stretch. Dominic Cheek hit back-to-back 3-pointers to tie the game at 63-63 with 5:20 remaining in regulation. The Friars pushed the score to 72-67 on free throws and a pair of Vincent Council layups, but Pinkston would not be denied from then on.
Mouphtaou Yarou added 17 points and eight rebounds in the win for the Wildcats. The Friars were led by Bryce Cotton, who had 20 points on 6-for-11 from beyond the arc. Council had 17 points and seven assists, but also led all players with seven turnovers.
For more on the Wildcats, head over to the SB Nation blog The Nova Blog. Check out Big East Coast Bias for more on what's happening around the Big East.