By ADAM ZAGORIA
Don’t count out Villanova just yet.
With their 67-61 victory over No. 10 Marquette on Wednesday night, the Wildcats remained alive for the Big East regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the Big East Tournament.
A Marquette win would’ve given the Golden Eagles the No. 1 seed and at least a share of the regular-season title.
Villanova (21-8, 12-4) also owns the tiebreaker over Marquette (23-5, 12-3) because they own a win over St. John’s and Marquette does not.
Updated @BIGEASTMBB standings pic.twitter.com/SEZUDhm0Df
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) February 28, 2019
“We had to step it up, we just had to step it up,” Villanova coach Jay Wright told Billy Raftery on FS1. “Marquette’s a great team. What a great team, man. Great Big East game. They’re going to be really good. They could be a Final Four team.”
The Wildcats closed the game on a 12-1 run and got a career-high 29 points and 9 rebounds from sophomore Jermaine Samuels and 17 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds from Phil Booth. Entering the night, Samuels was averaging 4.4 points with a career-high of 15.
“Jermaine has been playing a role for us, and being very unselfish,” Wright said. “Tonight we needed to let him go. We knew they weren’t going to guard him. He played his butt off and I’m so happy for him. He’s a wonderful kid.”
.@VUCoachJWright had 2 words for @J_Swizz23 tonight – “Be Aggressive.”
Jermaine Samuels tells @John_Fanta about his coach’s message and how it led him to a career night in the Wildcats’ win: pic.twitter.com/yXkwqQoaFP
— #BIGEASThoops (@BIGEASTMBB) February 28, 2019
Big East Player of the Year favorite Markus Howard shot 8-of-19 for 25 points for Marquette. He added 4 assists and 2 rebounds.
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