Villanova just captured a significant overtime road win against No. 12 Creighton. Here’s how.

Villanova’s 68-66 overtime win over No. 12 Creighton in its Big East opener was reminiscent of two recent Villanova matchups. Coach Kyle Neptune would probably like both comparisons.

In the Elite Eight against Houston in 2022, Villanova faced an offensive juggernaut in a hostile environment and won with a glacial pace, elite three-point defense, and free throws. The Wildcats (8-4, 1-0 Big East) had a similar strategy in Omaha, Neb., slowing the Bluejays (9-3, 0-1) both in transition and at the three-point line.

The second similar game came in February when the Wildcats last faced Creighton. In that game, forward Eric Dixon torched Creighton 7-footer Ryan Kalkbrenner for six threes and 31 points. Dixon was held to four threes Wednesday night but did one better — he had 32 points this time.

The result? A huge road win to start Big East play, a possible message to the rest of the league, and a victory that could be a difference-maker in March.

Postgame, Neptune denied focusing on pace.

“Nah, we wanted to run with them,” he said, without any trace of a smile. Still, the tape showed differently: Neptune knows that Villanova’s tempo is its great equalizer.

Except for the 2017-18 national championship team, recent history shows that Villanova has played at one of the slowest tempos in the country. When the Wildcats are at their best, as they were against Houston in San Antonio, they grind opponents down and make enough threes to win. The combination is punishing against lesser opponents and upset fuel against the best.

Creighton generally likes to play fast, as do many of the top teams in the Big East. Villanova was determined to limit fast-break points and threes. The Bluejays were held to 24 points in the first 15 minutes.

In a win over Iowa earlier this year, the Bluejays scored 19 points in transition. Against Villanova, Creighton scored two. The Wildcats were consistently back on defense, slowing the game and limiting Creighton’s opportunities on the fastbreak. Even on offense, the Wildcats preferred to wait — the Bluejays had those two transition points, yet Villanova had none.

Pace was the most obvious strategy, but Villanova’s defensive scheme worked overall. Creighton committed 16 turnovers and shot 20.8% from three. Creighton leading scorer Baylor Scheierman had 16 points but went 0-for-7 from three, his first game without a three since Feb. 5, 2022. The Wildcats had several stops with the game on the line, forcing two misses in the final seconds of the second half and two more while up by two in overtime.

Villanova’s pace is no secret, even if Neptune wouldn’t acknowledge it. The Wildcats will use a similar formula through the rest of the season, especially in matchups with Big East heavyweights Marquette and UConn.

Still, the pace would have meant little if not for timely scoring. The Wildcats trailed by 10 at halftime, even after the strong defensive effort.

Most would fear Kalkbrenner, the two-time reigning Big East defensive player of the year and a 7-foot-1 shot-blocker. Dixon, who is 6-8, seems to relish the challenge.

In matchups against Creighton, Villanova uses Dixon’s three-point shooting ability to draw Kalkbrenner away from the basket. Dixon’s 32 points were two off his career high. Dixon hit 4 of 10 three-point shots.

None was bigger than his final attempt, a go-ahead corner three over Kalkbrenner with 28 seconds left in overtime. The basket proved to be the winner after Scheierman’s long attempt at the buzzer fell short.

» READ MORE: Villanova’s Eric Dixon is becoming the best version of himself

Even with Dixon’s success, it took a while to find any other source of offense. Dixon scored 15 of Villanova’s 24 first-half points, while the second-leading scorer, Tyler Burton, had just three. When the Wildcats trailed by 14 early in the second half, it looked as if Justin Moore — out for a second consecutive game with a right knee sprain — might have made the difference.

Then Villanova found more options, with Burton, Hakim Hart, Jordan Longino, and Mark Armstrong contributing. Hart was the only other Wildcat to reach double figures, finishing with 10 (5-for-10 on field goals), but Dixon was no longer the only offensive option.

The key was attacking the rim. Kalkbrenner is 4 inches taller than anyone on Villanova, yet the Wildcats outscored Creighton in the paint, 38-28. Villanova’s guards backed down Creighton and made layups, and when the Bluejays switched their defense, the Wildcats made open threes.

Shooting has been a struggle for much of the year, but the Wildcats shot 55.6% from the field in the second half and 40.9% overall. Villanova’s in-game adjustment to increased emphasis on attacking could be the spark its offense needed.

The Big East is expected to be extremely competitive this season, but the first set of games was more chaotic than anyone could have imagined. All three ranked teams (No. 5 UConn, No. 6 Marquette, No. 12 Creighton) lost their openers, although only Creighton played at home.

Villanova’s win in Omaha means a little more. The CHI Health Center is known as one of the toughest road environments in the Big East, and winning there will be significant to the NCAA selection committee in March, regardless of whether Villanova is in seeding conversations or on the bubble.

It was the perfect start to Big East play, but it could mean much more than just one win.