After Providence loss, Villanova’s NCAA Tournament aspirations are looking even more bleak

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Another litmus test for Villanova was here in a season that has had plenty of them.

Like the rest before them, it ended in a Villanova loss. This one, though, maybe felt a little different going in. The Wildcats were on a three-game winning streak and finally healthy.

It didn’t matter.

Any hope that Villanova could impart onto its fans that a run to Big East glory next month at Madison Square Garden — though unlikely — was possible evaporated inside a sold-out and raucous Amica Mutual Pavilion, where No. 24 Providence sent the Wildcats back under .500 in a 85-72 win.

The Friars dominated Villanova inside early and often and were more physical than the Wildcats all night.

“They came out and played extremely hard the first five minutes or so and really set the tone,” Villanova coach Kyle Neptune said. “They just got whatever they wanted, and I don’t think we ever recovered from it.”

Villanova was led by Eric Dixon’s 18 points and eight rebounds. Justin Moore added 17.

Providence’s Ed Croswell, a Philadelphia native and La Salle transfer, led all scorers with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Bryce Hopkins added 19 points and 12 rebounds. Noah Locke (16) and Devin Carter (12) also tallied double figures for Providence.

Croswell and Hopkins were too much to handle inside for an undersized Villanova team. Providence made 20 of its 30 two-point attempts, a whopping 67%.

Cam Whitmore’s steal and transition slam three minutes into the second half gave Villanova its first lead, and it seemed like things were finally going the Wildcats’ way after an ugly start. They got a stop at the other end but couldn’t extend the lead on their ensuing offensive possession.

In a blink, the lead was gone. Locke drilled a transition three that started a 15-4 Providence run capped by a three-point play by Ed Croswell. It came after Providence got its big man matched up with freshman guard Brendan Hausen near the rim.

Providence led by double digits once again.

Villanova, however, didn’t go away. The Wildcats used a 10-2 run to cut Providence’s lead to 63-61 with 4:53 to play.

But Providence had all the answers down the stretch, including two huge three-pointers from Locke and Carter.

“They came back and continued to play hard,” Neptune said. “It’s just a game where you can never get satisfied or take your foot off the pedal for a second. Key rebounds, a couple key possessions where we couldn’t get a stop really hurt us in the end.”

In front of a home crowd they haven’t lost in front of all season, the Friars scored 11 of the first 15 points of the game and thoroughly dominated Villanova for much of the half.

Hopkins, who played all 20 minutes in the first half, scored inside to give the Friars a 32-18 lead and cap a 15-6 Providence run.

“You go on the road and start a game like that and give them confidence … it’s tough,” Neptune said.

Villanova, hampered by foul trouble, looked like it could get left in the dust. Instead, the Wildcats closed there half on a 13-4 run over the final 5 minutes, 27 seconds, and trailed, 36-31, at halftime.

It was the theme of the night, Villanova needing surges to try to erase deficits.

“It says we’re capable of doing it, but we just have to find ways to do it for the whole game,” Moore said. “Playing a great team like that, playing in spurts is not going to get the job done. We’re capable, we just have to figure it out.”

Villanova, now 13-14 and 7-9 in conference play, remains without a Quad 1 win. Three wins in a row — over DePaul, Seton Hall, and Butler — marked a positive trend, but Villanova showed again that it’s not ready for the best of the Big East.

“I think we’re more frustrated that we’re not coming out and playing harder than those teams,” Moore said when asked if the team was frustrated by its lack of success against top competition. “Each and every day, we practice trying to play harder, tougher, and more physical. We’re more frustrated at ourselves not because it’s a Quad 1 team, just that we’re not coming out and being the best version of ourselves.”

With less than three weeks to go until the conference tournament, it’s fair to wonder if that best version exists or if it’s just the one we’re seeing over and over again.

Villanova next plays at No. 16 Xavier on Tuesday night in Cincinnati (6:30 p.m., FS1). Starting with Saturday’s game against Providence, Villanova plays its final five games of the regular season against Quad 1 opponents.