Eric Dixon’s 31 points helps Villanova knock off previously undefeated No. 14 Cincinnati
Dixon scored 20 of his 31 points in the second half to give the Wildcats their first victory over a ranked opponent since last season.
When Eric Dixon hit deep threes on back-to-back possessions late in the second half to secure Villanova’s 68-60 win over previously undefeated No. 14 Cincinnati, it sent the Finneran Pavilion into a frenzy.
His shots gave Villanova a 61-49 lead with 2 minutes, 53 seconds to play. The Wildcats secured their first victory over a ranked opponent since they beat Creighton at the Wells Fargo Center in February.
Twenty second-half points from Dixon allowed Villanova (5-4) to fend off a comeback bid from Cincinnati (6-1). The Bearcats used a 13-2 run to cut Villanova’s second-half lead from 13 points to two with 13:43 to play.
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Dixon scored 14 of the Wildcats’ 24 points over the final 13:29. He finished with 31 points and seven rebounds. Jhamir Brickus added 13 points and nine assists, while Wooga Poplar recorded a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double. Cincinnati’s Jizzle James led the Bearcats with 19 points.
Dixon down the stretch
Dixon notched his third 30-point game of the season on 11-for-23 shooting. Entering the game, Dixon had Division I’s second-highest scoring average. The 31-point performance boosted his season mark to 25.1.
“[Dixon is] that good of a player,” Cincinnati coach Wes Miller said. “He creates a ton of problems, whether they’re playing him at the five or at the four.”
The veteran forward has not been thwarted offensively to this point. His only game without at least 20 points this season was Villanova’s 72-48 rout of Rider where he played just 29 minutes in the blowout.
‘You’ve never had 40′
Though the Wildcats’ offense is heavily reliant on Dixon, he does not feel he’s being asked to do too much. He trusts that his teammates, especially Brickus, can carry the scoring load when called upon.
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“We have a lot of talented guys that can put up points,” Dixon said. “[Brickus] had 40 in his career, as well.”
Villanova coach Kyle Neptune stepped in to correct Dixon, who notched a career-high 38-points against Maryland in November.
“As well?” Neptune quipped. “You’ve never had 40.”
Big shot Brickus
Brickus played a large role in the Wildcats’ offense running smoothly. He recorded a season-high nine assists and shot 3-for-5 from distance, including a deep three over Josh Reed to beat the first-half buzzer.
“[Brickus] sees the game at such an elevated level,” Neptune said. “He sees the plays before they happen.”
The La Salle transfer recorded his fourth consecutive double-figure scoring game. Brickus’ development as a scorer is an encouraging sight for Villanova after some early inconsistency from the guard.
“[Brickus] has an uncanny feel for the right play at the right time,” Neptune said.
Up next
Villanova will get a short rest before facing Temple (4-3) in the third-place game of the Big 5 Classic at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday (4:30 p.m., NBCSP+). The ‘Cats close their nonconference schedule next Wednesday by hosting Fairleigh Dickinson (3-6) at the Finneran Pavilion (7 p.m., FS1).