By JOSH NEWMAN
NEW YORK – Villanova was the top 3-point shooting team in the Big East this season, a statistic Marquette gained firsthand knowledge of on Thursday afternoon.
The top-seeded Wildcats tied a Big East-Tournament record by knocking down 17 3-pointers in routing ninth-seeded Marquette, 84-49, on Thursday afternoon in the first of four quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden.
Big East Sixth Man of the Year Josh Hart led the way, going 5-for-7 from deep as part of a 20-point day, while Darrun Hilliard and Dylan Ennis each went 3-for-6 from long-range to lead the Wildcats (30-2) to its second-ever 30-win season. The 2008-09 Final Four team finished 30-8.
“We’re a good shooting team, so when you have nights like that, you’re going to win most games,” said Villanova head coach Jay Wright, whose team shot 38.3 percent from deep during the regular season. “But when you’re a shooting team, there’s going to be some nights where you don’t make those shots, and you can’t be afraid to let them fly.”
Villanova took control almost immediately, getting a 3-pointer from Hilliard just 17 seconds into the game, then another from Ennis off a Hilliard assist to take an early 6-2 lead.
The Wildcats assisted on 22 of 30 field goals in shooting 52.6 percent from the floor and 58.6 percent from 3-point range.
“Darrun was finding me when I was open, Ryan (Arcidiacono) found me, Kris (Jenkins) found me,” Hart said. “When those guys just find you and you’re wide open, after like, the first couple, you just get in a rhythm, get a confidence and my teammates did a great job finding me.”
Villanova is through to Friday’s night’s Big East semifinals, where it will play either No. 4 seed Providence, a 74-57 winner over No. 5 seed St. John’s in Friday’s second semifinal.
The Wildcats took both regular-season meetings from the Friars, 74-68 on Feb. 11 at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center and 89-61 on Feb. 24 at The Pavilion.
Photo: USA Today Sports
