Newark, N.J. – In Kevin Willard’s return home to South Orange, his Villanova Wildcats earned a hard fought 64-56 victory that, despite the final score, was rarely in doubt. Villanova controlled the tempo from start to finish, leaning on its backcourt to dictate the flow of the game. The Wildcats’ guards consistently got to their spots, creating quality looks and breaking down a Seton Hall defense that entered the matchup as the best in the Big East. While the Pirates showed flashes of resistance, Villanova’s poise and execution proved decisive, allowing the Wildcats to maintain control and close out a convincing road win.
The difference-maker in tonight’s game was freshman Acaden Lewis. The former top-50 recruit delivered a stellar performance, consistently knocking down tough, contested shorts. As the game wore on and Lewis became the primary focus of the Pirates’ defensive game plan, he adjusted seamlessly – creating dribble penetration and, when the defense collapsed, he used his excellent court vision to find open Wildcat shooters on the perimeter. On the defensive end, Lewis allowed nothing easy. While he finished with three steals, his impact went well beyond the box score. He denied Pirate guards access to their preferred sports, forced them into difficult, contested looks, and helped initiate transition opportunities by quickly getting the ball back into his hands after defensive rebounds. Lewis finished the game with 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. He was a complete two-way presence tonight and performances like this make him the clear frontrunner for Big East Freshman of the Year.
The key factor entering this matchup for Villanova was how its perimeter shooting would hold up against the Pirates’ defense, and the Wildcats delivered. More than 50% of Villanova’s shots came from beyond the arc, where they connected at an impressive 43% clip. James Madison transfer Bryce Lindsay knocked down three triples, while Lewis and fellow freshman Matt Hodge each added two. The reliance on the three-point shot was not unique to this game, but rather a reflection of Villanova’s season long identity, as 47% of the Wildcats’ total shot attempts this year have come from deep. How that approach translates over the grind of Big East play will be worth monitoring, because on nights when the perimeter shots aren’t falling, Villanova risks allowing games to slip out of reach quickly.
For the Pirates they will look to use this game as a learning experience. The heart of their team in point guard Adam “Budd” Clark found a seat on the bench early as he picked up his second foul in the first two minutes and the team was all out of sorts from that point forward. The team never found in rhythm looks and often found themselves deep into the shot clock and were forced to heave bad looks to avoid the violation. If there was any bright spot in this game it came from Fordham transfer Josh Rivera. Rivera never stopped fighting until the final whistle and that is what earns you minutes when playing for Shaheen Holloway. He finished the game with 10 points, 3 rebounds, an assist, and a steal in 15 minutes of game action.
Ultimately, this matchup highlighted Villanova’s poise, perimeter shooting, and guard play, while exposing areas of growth for a young Seton Hall group still searching for consistency on the offense end of the floor. The Wildcats will look to build on this performance as they return home for a New Year’s Eve matchup against Depaul. Meanwhile, the Pirates will aim to respond and apply the lessons learned when they hit the road for another test at Marquette on Tuesday, a game that will require sharper execution, discipline, and composure from the opening tip.
This article was written by William Murphy, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Instagram, or on twitter.
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