Feb. 25, 2009
Box Score
ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP)--Scottie Reynolds and Dante Cunningham both scored 18 points, and No. 10 Villanova rallied to beat DePaul 74-72 on Wednesday night for its ninth win in 10 games.
The Wildcats (23-5, 11-4 Big East) trailed by eight points early in the second half, then went on a 21-5 run to take a 52-44 lead. They were leading 60-48 with about 6 minutes left, but rather than pull away, they had to hang on as DePaul made a late push behind Will Walker's 3-point barrage.
He hit four 3-pointers during a 12-2 run that pulled the Blue Demons (8-20, 0-15) within 62-60 with 2:47 left, but it wasn't enough and they lost their 15th straight, extending their record losing streak.
Reynolds scored eight points in the final 2:05. Three times the Blue Demons pulled within two and he answered each time, converting two spinning layups and four free throws.
Cunningham was 7-of-13 from the field, and Corey Fisher added 12 points for Villanova, which got more drama than it bargained for from the lone team without a Big East win.
The Blue Demons delivered one of their most spirited performances, but they hit the 20-loss mark for just the third time despite 23 points from Walker and 17 points and 13 rebounds from Mac Koshwal.
With three games left in the regular season, the Blue Demons are staring at the possibility of a winless conference record, but at least they kept this one close--for a change.
DePaul players watching from the sideline spent the final few minutes of the first half on their feet, and fans showered the Blue Demons with cheers as they took a 33-25 halftime lead. It was a surprising development considering they dropped their previous four games by 19 points or more, including a 45-point blowout at Louisville.
DePaul endured a 7-minute stretch in which it got outscored 13-1 and fell behind 17-12, but rather than fade, it fought back.
The Blue Demons, seeking their first win since Dec. 28, went on a 13-3 run that Koshwal started with a three-point play on a hard dunk and Walker capped with a spinning layup in transition. Walker made two 3-pointers over the final 2:15, the second making it an eight-point game with just over a minute left in the half.
