Villanova gets back on track in a 68-50 rout of Providence

After losing five straight games and six of seven, Villanova was desperately in need of a spark.

It found one in its backup big man.

Lance Ware, the least touted of the four summer transfers, started a 6-0 first-half Wildcats run with a volleyball-style swat of a jumper from Providence’s Corey Floyd Jr. Ware added three rebounds, one on the offensive boards, and solid defense as Villanova stretched a two-point lead to eight. The Friars never got close again as Villanova ran away with a crucial 68-50 win Sunday night at the Wells Fargo Center.

“That was an exciting play in a crucial moment. We feed off of that in the huddles,” guard TJ Bamba said. “... He inspired us to keep making plays.”

The Wildcats (12-10, 5-6 Big East) held the Friars to 16 first-half points. Villanova started the second half on a 13-0 run, ballooning what was already a double-digit lead. It desperately needed some momentum and a win and got both, keeping its NCAA Tournament hopes alive.

Villanova prides itself on defense. On Sunday night, it got its second-best defensive performance of the season (only bettered by allowing 40 points in November against Maryland).

Providence (14-8, 5-6) shot 17% in the first half, making just four field goals. Villanova forced nine turnovers in the half, 13 altogether, including three blocks from Ware and a team-high three steals from Mark Armstrong.

“That’s what we talk about every day. We talk about going out and just putting it all in on the defensive end,” Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune said. “... I thought they did an unbelievable job.”

Before the game, Neptune singled out Providence stars Devin Carter, the Big East’s second leading scorer, and forward Josh Oduro as the two players the Cats needed to slow down to win. The defensive game plan took both out of the game.

Oduro was consistently double-teamed and finished with 18 points, 10 on free throws, and four turnovers. Carter, with several NBA scouts watching him, attempted just three shots in the first half and finished with 17 points. Both scored the majority of their points in the second half.

Admittedly, Providence, already not a strong offensive team, is missing its best player. Bryce Hopkins, who was expected to contend for Big East player of the year, suffered a torn ACL in January and is out for the year. But Providence is still a solid Big East team, even without Hopkins, and Villanova completely shut it down.

After the first half stretch, Ware let out a scream. He said after the game he was just trying to give his teammates energy. He gave the Wildcats so much more.

As impressive as the defense was, the offense struggled for the first 20 minutes. Villanova scored just 26 points in the first half.

That changed at the start of the second. A 13-0 run, punctuated by a dunk from Ware and a three-pointer from Brendan Hausen, gave the Wildcats an insurmountable lead.

Eric Dixon and Hausen were the leaders with 11 points, but five Wildcats had more than eight points. Hausen hit three threes. Bamba had nine first-half points but was held scoreless in the second.

Villanova shot 42.2% from the field and made 10 threes, shooting 35.7% from beyond the arc.

Villanova stayed outwardly positive during the five-game losing streak, but there was clearly a better mood postgame.

“It feels so good,” Bamba said, grinning. “That’s all I’m going to say about it.”

As demoralizing as the losses were, they did come in Villanova’s toughest stretch of the season. Providence was the first game in a much more forgiving February. Only one of the Wildcats’ seven games in the month is against the ranked trio of UConn, Creighton, and Marquette, and Villanova has the chance to grab some momentum before heading to Connecticut on Feb. 24.

Up next is arguably the toughest game: hitting the road to face Xavier (12-10, 6-5). The Musketeers are traditionally tough to play at Cintas Center, where the teams play Wednesday night at 7 (FS1).

Villanova had little reason for confidence before Sunday. Now, the outlook is just a little brighter.