Villanova blitzed in second half vs. No. 5 UConn, ends six-game win streak
· Yahoo Sports
Villanova has been the team all year long that has made the necessary adjustments in the second half to win a game.
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On Saturday night, Kevin Willard and the Wildcats got a taste of their own medicine.
No. 5 UConn opened the second half on a 13-2 run and did not look back during a 73-63 win over Villanova at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. This loss snaps a six-game win streak for the Wildcats.
Dan Hurley pushed the right buttons at halftime as the Huskies (25-3, 15-2) turned on up the pressure on the defensive end over the final 20 minutes. Villanova (21-6, 12-4) struggled to get open shots in the second half after trailing by just two at the break.
Villanova shot 41% from the floor and 6-for-24 from three-point range. The Huskies also dominated the board, outrebounding Villanova 37-24.
It was a quick start for Villanova with few whistles in the first half. Tyler Perkins scored the first eight points for the Wildcats, and finished with a team-high 15.
After back-and-forth action to start, Willard went to his bench and brought in four subs on the floor with one starter — a head-scratching move that allowed the Huskies to take advantage. UConn to built a 23-18 lead as the offensive options were at a minimum for the Wildcats.
Willard went back to his starters and the Wildcats forced some sloppy play from UConn. The Wildcats forced multiple turnovers to build a three-point lead late in the first, but the Huskies responded to take a 34-32 lead into halftime.
After competing with UConn for three halves and an overtime period this season, Villanova ran out of gas and the second half was all Huskies. The Wildcats fell behind by as many as 21 before garbage-time baskets brought the deficit down to 10 at the final buzzer.
Matt Hodge finished with 13 points and Acaden Lewis added 11. Devin Askew continued his struggles off the bench as he did not score, going 0-for-5 from the field and 0-for-3 from three-point range.
The Wildcats will be back in action on Wednesday as they host Butler.