Villanova men can’t keep pace with No. 10 Marquette in an 87-74 loss

Sometimes you just have to tip your hat and recognize that you are outmatched.

That was exactly the case with Villanova (12-9, 5-5 Big East) as it fell, 87-74, to No. 10 Marquette (17-3, 8-1 Big East) at the Fiserv Forum.

In what was Villanova’s weakest defensive performance of the season, the Wildcats, who allowed 67.8 points per game entering Friday night’s game, gave up 87 points to the Golden Eagles. This is the fifth time Villanova has given up 80 points or more this season.

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Villanova senior guard Jordan Longino was the only difference maker for the Wildcats, scoring a career-high 27 points. Longino dropped 13 of Villanova’s 26 points in the first half alone. He also chipped in with seven assists and three boards.

Marquette’s Royce Parham hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Golden Eagles a 36-26 halftime lead. The shot painted a clear picture of what the first half, and the rest of the game, entailed.

It was the second time the Wildcats have put up less than 30 points in the first 20 minutes of play. They also shot less than 40% from the field.

And the next 20 minutes were no different.

Marquette led the Wildcats by six points or more throughout the second half, leading for 93.1% of the entire game.

Graduate forward Eric Dixon had a quiet 18 points. There have been three other games this season that Dixon scored less than 20 points.

Graduate guard Jhamir Brickus also chipped in with 12 points and six assists for Villanova.

Marquette proved in its win that they are playing like the best team in the Big East.

Marquette shot 46.7% from the field and 30% from behind the arc, with four different players scoring in double figures.

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Stevie Mitchell dropped a team-high 21 points, while Kam Jones and Chase Ross had 16 and 18 points, respectively. Parham also chipped in with 10 points and Ben Gold contributed a team-high nine rebounds.

Marquette was also golden in the paint, scoring 36 of its 87 points down low, in comparison to Villanova’s 20 points in the paint.

The Golden Eagles were also powerhouses on the defensive end. Marquette forced 13 turnovers, leading to 16 points. Villanova normally averages just 10 turnovers per game.

Villanova will have a weeklong break before taking on Creighton (13-6, 6-2 Big East) on Feb. 1 (1 p.m., Fox29) at the Wells Fargo Center. The Wildcats lost their previous meeting against the Bluejays on Dec. 21, 86-79.