The Villanova Wildcats will try to avoid their third consecutive loss Monday night when they visit the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. With a win, Notre Dame can clinch a double-bye in the Big East tournament.
The Villanova Wildcats (21-8, 9-7 Big East) played their final home game of the season Saturday when St. John’s came to town. The Wildcats were outrebounded 37-23 and allowed St. John’s guard Dwight Hardy to score 34 points in the 81-68 loss. It was Villanova’s fourth loss in six games and dropped them into a five-way tie for seventh place in the Big East standings.
The Wildcats started league play by winning their first four games and five of their first six. In that stretch, they picked up wins over then-No. 25 Cincinnati, then-No. 17 Louisville, and then-No. 3 Syracuse. Since then, they are 4-6.
Villanova’s schedule doesn’t get much easier after facing Notre Dame. The Wildcats finish their season with a visit to Pittsburgh, meaning their final four games will have been played against ranked teams.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (23-5, 12-4 Big East) had a rough start to its conference schedule but have come on recently. After a 3-3 start, the Fighting Irish are 9-1 with wins over then-No. Pittsburgh and then-No. 15 Louisville.
The Fighting Irish are coming off of their best defensive effort of the season. They allowed 48 points in Saturday’s 60-48 win over Seton Hall. The win also improved their home record to a perfect 16-0 this season. Tim Abromaitis scored 22 points and Ben Hansbrough added 21.
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