Villanova firmly drops Georgetown in the first game of a crucial stretch to snag an at-large bid

When Villanova guards TJ Bamba (facial fracture) and Jordan Longino (illness) were ruled out shortly before tipoff, the Wildcats’ Tuesday night matchup with Georgetown at Finneran Pavilion looked to have some intrigue.

Villanova ended that quickly.

The shorthanded Wildcats steamrolled the Hoyas, 75-47, to set up a three-game stretch that likely will determine Villanova’s NCAA Tournament fate.

Not much good could come from playing the Hoyas (9-19, 2-15 Big East). A win, even by a massive margin, does little to bolster Villanova’s (16-12, 9-8) tournament resumé, but a loss would have ended the Wildcats’ at-large hopes.

Villanova’s senior leaders made sure Georgetown never had a shot at an upset.

Redshirt senior forward Eric Dixon scored 11 of Villanova’s first 19 points, and graduate guard Justin Moore hit threes on three consecutive possessions to give the Wildcats a double-digit lead they would never relinquish.

Dixon finished with a game-high 22 points, earned largely through bullying the Hoyas in the paint. Moore, who was consistently left open beyond the arc, scored 14 points, shooting 4 of 8 from three.

Though the veterans sparked it, all five starters finished in double figures. Mark Armstrong scored 12 points and added a career-high six assists. Hakim Hart had 11 points and five assists. Tyler Burton had 10 points and eight rebounds. The Wildcats finished with 19 assists, tied for their season-high.

Georgetown coach Ed Cooley said Villanova looked like a different team from when it last played Georgetown, just 11 days ago.

“Everything is good when you’re making shots,” Cooley said. “You feel better. You look better. You dress better. You talk better. You move better. The food is good. You’re good-looking. When the ball is not going in? Yeah, you look like Georgetown today.”

Perhaps the only thing to go wrong for Villanova’s offense arrived midway through the second half. After grabbing a steal and leading a fastbreak, Armstrong attempted a behind-the-back pass to an open Brendan Hausen. When the pass flew out of bounds, Armstrong was swiftly subbed out.

“I don’t remember that one,” Villanova coach Kyle Neptune said, smiling.

Georgetown is not a particularly good offensive team, but Villanova did play solid defense. The Hoyas were held to 19 first-half points, the fifth time the Wildcats have prevented a team from scoring 20.

Dontrez Styles was the only Hoya in double figures with 16 points. Top threat Jayden Epps, who scored 31 and 33 points in his last two games, managed just six — all on free throws. It was his first game without a field goal this season.

“Jayden’s a great player, so we just wanted to come out and really make him feel us,” Armstrong said. “We had to come out and set the tone.”

With two key rotation members out, Neptune turned to graduate guard Chris Arcidiacono for his first real minutes since playing St. John’s on Jan. 6. Arcidiacono played 13 minutes, drew an offensive foul, and missed his only three-point attempt.

Arcidiacono also recorded an assist, but not in the way one might think. Neptune asked him if he’d rather finish his final game in Finneran Pavilion on the court or on the bench. Arcidiacono, always humble, said walk-on Collin O’Toole should play the final seconds in his place.

The student section, which had chanted for O’Toole since the first half, roared when he checked in for the final 42 seconds.

Georgetown was Villanova’s final opponent in February, but it’s the Wildcats’ first three games in March that will determine whether they can earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats play Saturday at Providence (noon, Fox) before heading to Seton Hall on Wednesday night (6:30 p.m., FS1).

Villanova finishes with No. 12 Creighton at home next Sunday. All three games are coveted opportunities against Quad 1 competition.

If the Wildcats can go 2-1 or better, without a bad loss at the Big East Tournament, they’ll likely earn an NCAA tournament berth. However, Villanova’s not looking ahead.

“I’d be lying if [we said] you don’t hear it, because you guys ask us, right?” Neptune said. “So it’s hard [for it not] to be in your mind at times, but I think this team has done a great job of canceling the noise and just focusing on the task at hand. None of that stuff is going to matter once you get in the 94 by 50 feet [court].”