Villanova covers Marquette on Darrun Hilliard's career day
Darrun Hilliard enjoyed intently Sunday evening as the Philadelphia 76ers retired Allen Iverson's number at the Wells Fargo Facility.
Less than 24 hours later on, in the very same arena, he tried to recreate the miracle of his all-time favored gamer.
Hilliard scored a career-high 26 points and No. 8 Villanova set a school record for regular-season wins with a 73-56 triumph over Marquette on Sunday.
"AI was the man," Hilliard shared. "That was my preferred gamer. Viewing him go out and be the smallest person on the court and doing just what he did with everything against him, it was something I looked up to. So it's pretty cool to be in this structure.".
Josh Hart included 13 points and JayVaughn Pinkston had 11 points and seven rebounds for the Wildcats (26-3, 14-2 Big East), which have gained four straight and 10 of 11.
The Wildcats had actually never won 26 regular-season games in the 95-year past of the program. Villanova succeeded 25 games 4 previous times, most just recently in 2008-09, a season it reached the Final 4.
Deonte Burton scored 13 points for Marquette (17-12, 9-7) and Todd Mayo finished with 11 factors and 5 rebounds.
"I boasted of that effort," Villanova train Jay Wright said. "I know Marquette's an excellent, hungry group and they play hard. It's tough to match that degree.".
Playing in the home of the 76ers, Hilliard virtually looked like an NBA guard with the type of program he placed on for the followers. The 6-foot-6 junior guard had 18 points in initial fifty percent, fired 5-for-8 from 3-point array for the game and set his career high with an amazing drive that put the Wildcats up 66-47 with 4:58 left.
Hilliard's previous profession high of 25 factors can be found in a dismayed draw Syracuse last season-- additionally at the Wells Fargo Center.
"Darrun was on fire today," Hart stated. "When you have an individual who's 5-for-8 from Threes, the defense is actually focusing in on him so that allowed me to obtain open chances.".
Villanova was 12-of-29 from 3-point array.
Trying to make a late push to obtain into the NCAA competition for the ninth straight year, Marquette came in having actually won five of 6, consisting of a crucial two-point triumph over Georgetown on Thursday.
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But the Golden Eagles never ever endangered to disturb the Wildcats, shooting merely 4-for-15 from 3-point array and 16-for-25 from the free throw line. They dedicated 15 turn overs.
"I would certainly share the top dissatisfaction is we really did not play as difficult as we have to use the roadway to defeat a team as good as Villanova," Marquette trainer Buzz Williams stated.
After falling back by 11 factors at halftime, Marquette made merely one basket via the first 5 minutes of the second fifty percent to allow Villanova to open up a 48-29 lead.
Villanova led by double figures the rest of the method to relocate one full game ahead of No. 9 Creighton for first place in the Big East.
The Wildcats' only two seminar losses have actually concerned Creighton, which resulted of first place after shedding to Xavier on Sunday.
"I do not assume they're going to win our league or they're eighth in the nation based on one number," Williams shared. "I assume they're truly good in each phase of the game but I also assume they bet one another. I think they play extremely challenging and I believe they play with fantastic spirit.".
Hilliard and Hart combined to score Villanova's very first 20 points, before Pinkston and Tony Chennault racked up the following 9 for the Wildcats. Daniel Ochefu then obliged a steal, ran ahead of the pack and had a change dunk to cover a 17-4 run and email Villanova to a 31-18 lead with 3:18 left in the initial one-half.
The Golden Eagles reduced the deficit to 6 factors a few mins later on, but Hilliard scored 5 straight points to shut the fifty percent, striking two free throws after Williams was asked for a technical nasty and piercing a 3-pointer with 2 secs remaining.
"I thought that collection was necessary for us," Wright shared. "We were having a hard time a little and they were coming back.".
The Wildcats led 36-25 at halftime in spite of foul-plagued beginning guards Ryan Arcidiacono and James Alarm playing just 6 and 5 minutes, specifically. Neither scored in the initial one-half and Alarm, the group's leading marker, really did not buying whatsoever and continues to be 6 factors reluctant of 1,000 factors for his profession.
"In the very first one-half, when we were playing without James Bell and Ryan Arc, I assumed our energy degree really climbed," Wright shared. "I assumed we were really a quicker group. And afterwards those people were really fresh in the second one-half.
"We have actually been attempting to develop our depth throughout the period which was really important to have that very first half like that.".
