Villanova took a commanding lead in the first half, and had to hold on for dear life in the end. When the smoke cleared, the Wildcats held on, beating Rutgers 77-71 at the RAC.
Jay Wright had to be losing his mind, watching his team take a 28-9 advantage early only to see the Scarlet Knights come within one point. However, a win is a win.
Villanova (12-17, 5-12) has to be encouraged though watching Maalik Wayns. The junior looked much better on Thursday than he did against Georgetown, scoring 18 points while notching eight assists.
JayVaughn Pinkston also had a solid game with 18 points along with seven rebounds, while Mouphtaou Yarou had a double-double with 10 points and rebounds apiece.
Rutgers (13-17, 5-12) had a brutal first half, only scoring 19 points before turning on the jets in a losing effort. Four starters were in double-digits including Dane Miller who had 16 points and nine rebounds.
Both Myles Mack and Eli Carter shot woefully from the field, shooting 4 of 15 and 4 of 14 respectively.
The win breaks a four game losing streak for Villanova. Maybe the Wildcats can finish their Big East schedule on a high note over the weekend.
Villanova will host Senior night on Saturday afternoon against Cincinnati.