PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Trailing Connecticut 43-37 and with the Huskies' offense rolling midway through the second half, Villanova switched from man-to-man to zone defense. That strategic maneuver, coupled with some offensive heroics from juniors Jermaine Samuels and Collin Gillespie, helped carry the Wildcats to a 61-55 victory over UConn.
 
"It was one of those possibilities you hope you don't have to go to," stated Villanova head coach Jay Wright of the zone. "We always tell (the team) with these little guards, there's a chance we might have to go to it. We couldn't keep (Alterique) Gilbert out of the lane. (UConn coach) Danny (Hurley) is really good at finding the matchup he wants.  
 
"That's why we tried zone. We were kind of desperate at that point."
 
The change helped Villanova slow the Huskies (10-7 overall), who had made 10-of-12 field goal attempts to open the second half. It helped spark a 24-12 reversal that carried the Wildcats (14-3 overall, 4-1 BIG EAST) to a victory.
 
A pair of 3-point plays from Samuels – one traditional, the other from beyond the 3-point arc – proved enormous in the final three minutes. So too was the work of Jeremiah Robinson-Earl who grabbed a huge offensive rebound in the final minute and sank all six of his free throws down the stretch to cement the win.
 
"It was a great college basketball atmosphere," stated Wright of a game played before 16,723 at the Wells Fargo Center. "You can see the growth in UConn from this year to last. Danny's really getting his culture going. They're tough.
 
"For us, having two juniors in Collin and Jermaine step up was huge. Jeremiah is playing like an upperclassman. His defense and big-time rebounds were so important."
 
Connecticut drained 5-of-7 field goal attempts to open the game, including a 3-pointer from Akok Akok to grab an 11-4 at the first official timeout of the afternoon. At the other end, the Huskies were credited with three blocked shots in the first 4:19 of action.
 
The Wildcats got their long-distance game going, however, sinking their first four attempts from beyond the 3-point arc to grab a 21-17 lead at the 7:18 mark of the first half. Saddiq Bey scored nine of those points, including a pair of 3-pointers.
 
UConn came back to forge a tie at 21 but wouldn't score again in the first half as the Wildcats' defense clamped down, forcing a couple of key turnovers. Villanova then got 3-pointers from Bryan Antoine and Robinson-Earl to grab the lead, 27-21 at halftime.
 
Bey's nine point led all scorers in the period.
 
A 6-0 burst to open the second half pulled the Huskies even at 27 after three minutes in the period. After 24:14 of game action, the Wildcats were 7-of-13 from beyond the arc (.538) – and just 4-of-16 from inside it (.250).  
 
By the midpoint of the second half, UConn had drained 10-of-12 from the field and stymied the Wildcats at the other end of the floor. Villanova fell behind 41-35 with 11:31 to play in the contest.
 
The zone then helped alter the game's dynamic over the final 10 minutes.
 
As they did in wins over Kansas, Creighton, and DePaul, Villanova made clutch plays when it counted most. It all added up to their 20^th straight win on a home court, including 12 straight here in South Philadelphia. The Wildcats were victorious despite sinking just 19 field goals on the day. Eleven of them came from beyond the 3-point arc.
 
This game was the third of four in a row on home courts for the Wildcats. Villanova will close out this run on Tuesday night, when No. 5 Butler is at Finneran Pavilion for a contest that gets underway at 7 p.m. (CBS Sports Network/610 ESPN Radio). For those interested in attending the Men's Basketball game vs Butler please visit Vivid Seats, our Official Resale marketplace. Tickets are available here.
 
The 2019-20 season – Villanova's 100^th college basketball campaign – is presented by Hartford Funds and Coca-Cola.