VILLANOVA, Pa. – An explosive second half carried No. 3/3 Villanova past Providence 71-56 Saturday afternoon at Finneran Pavilion. The Wildcats trailed by as many as 10 points in the first half before using sharp defense to create second half offense to the tune of 47 points.
 
The Wildcats improved to 10-1 overall, 5-0 BIG EAST with their eighth straight win while the Friars fell to 8-7 overall, 4-5 BIG EAST at the end of a four-game road trip.
 
Senior Collin Gillespie and Justin Moore led a balanced Villanova attack with 15 points apiece. Junior Caleb Daniels added a dozen points for the 'Cats. Freshman Alyn Breed led Providence with 18 points.
 
Villanova limited Providence to .385 shooting from the field on the day and forced 19 turnovers. Nova enjoyed a 17-7 edge in points off of turnovers and a 20-7 advantage in second chance points.
 
"That was a good step for us against an outstanding defensive team," stated head coach Jay Wright. "They always give us trouble. In the first half, we couldn't score. I was pleased with our patience in not getting frustrated. We continued to play good defense of our own."
 
The early minutes were all about stout defense. Villanova forced a turnover on the game's first possession, but Providence was just as stingy at the other end. The Wildcats held an early 8-6 lead after 8:20 of action thanks to five points from sophomore Justin Moore and that gritty defense.
 
An 11-0 run by the Friars was sparked by the work of junior guard David Duke. That allowed Providence to craft a 20-11 edge with 6:31 to play in the period.
 
The Wildcats, meanwhile, struggled to find any kind of an offensive flow. Villanova connected on 5-of-23 from the field over the first 16:07, including 2-of-11 from beyond the 3-point arc. There were also seven Nova turnovers.
 
However, Villanova continued to get stops at the defensive end and that helped it pull to within 27-24 as senior Collin Gillespie drained a 3-pointer just before the halftime horn sounded. The 24 points were the fewest scored by the Wildcats in a half this season.
 
"I thought those two plays at the end of the first half were important," Wright said. "We made a mistake and fouled a three-point shooter. But to be able to come back, have Justin find Collin, who made the shot, was big. We were fortunate to just be down by three."
 
Despite connecting on just 27 percent of its field goal attempts, the Wildcats remained within striking distance thanks to 10 forced turnovers and some quality defensive work of their own.
 
The start of the second half was delayed for approximately 18 minutes due to sunlight that shone upon the basket in front of the Friars' bench.
 
"I've been here for 20 years and I've never seen that," stated Wright. "Not in a practice, not at a women's game. It was bizarre. I went over and looked at it. It was blinding."
 
Once the period began, Villanova began to find its footing at the offensive end.
 
A 7-0 spurt in the early stages of the second half helped Villanova pull even at 33. Consecutive 3-point scores by the Wildcats, including a traditional 3-point play by Jermaine Samuels and a 3-point goal by Cole Swider helped VU grab a 39-33 lead at the 13:57 mark. But Providence answered with a 5-0 burst of its own and the Villanova lead was 39-36 as the game approached the 13 minute mark.
 
"We were playing off our defense," Wright stated. "We were getting confidence from getting stops defensively. We kept grinding."
 
Another surge, this one a 15-2 run midway through the second half, helped Villanova extend its advantage to 54-42. Caleb Daniels and Moore played a vital role in that stretch, helping the Wildcats begin to solve the Friars' man-to-man defense.
 
The lead never fell below double digits the rest of the way.  Samuels ended the day with a double-double (ten points, ten rebounds) as the Wildcats out-rebounded the Friars 41-37.
 
After two in a row at home this week, the Wildcats next three outings are slated to be on the road. That stretch begins on Thursday night at Connecticut (9 p.m./FS1 and 95.7 Ben FM) and then continues at Seton Hall (Jan. 30) and St. John's (Feb. 3).