VILLANOVA, Pa. – A final shot by Villanova's Eric Dixon rimmed out with four seconds left, allowing Marquette to collect its second straight win at Finneran Pavilion, 68-66. The Golden Eagles also earned a final possession win last season, 57-54.
 
Freshman Cam Whitmore led Villanova with 14 points and eight rebounds. Caleb Daniels and Dixon had 13 points apiece for the Wildcats (7-7 overall, 1-2 BIG EAST).
 
"I was really proud of the way we came out today," stated Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune. "We were trying to execute the gameplan.
 
"I give Marquette a lot of credit. They came back, taking the lead and having a really good second half."
 
The Golden Eagles (11-5 overall, 3-1 BIG EAST) limited the Wildcats to 22 second half points on 9-of-29 shooting (.310). That was a marked contrast to the first 20 minutes when Villanova poured in 44 points on 15-of-28 (.536) shooting from the field.
 
"They're just a really well-coached team," said Neptune. "They try to take away your strengths. They make it hard to get to the rim and they also do a good job taking away 3's."
 
When Kam Jones missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 10.9 seconds left, Villanova regained possession trailing by two points. After two Marquette fouls – the Golden Eagles were not yet in the bonus – the 'Cats inbounded the basketball along the sideline opposite their bench. The pass went to Dixon at the elbow and he released a contested jumper that just rolled off the rim.
 
"We have a lot of reads out of that set," Neptune said of the final sequence. "That was definitely one of the options."
 
Pennsylvania native Stevie Mitchell led the Golden Eagles with 19 points, including 12 in the second half.
 
"He's a great player and he made some key shots for them," stated Neptune.
 
Marquette made its first three attempts from the field to grab a 7-2 lead in the first two minutes. But Villanova came roaring back thanks in large part to Cam Whitmore, making his first career start. Whitmore scored the 'Cats first seven points and helped it forge a 12-12 deadlock after 5:01 of the first half.
 
Whitmore's second 3-pointer of the day and three free throws from Jordan Longino after he was fouled in the act of attempting a 3-pointer, pushed Villanova in front 20-14 with 11:59 to play in the period. When Brandon Slater drained a wing 3-pointer, the Wildcats held a 27-19 lead over the Golden Eagles with a bit more than eight minutes left in the first period.
 
Kam Jones heated up from long range, though, dropping in four from beyond the 3-point arc to pull Marquette to within 38-37 with 1:13 to go before halftime. But the Wildcats got a pair of defensive stops and Dixon sank a 3-pointer to give Villanova a 44-39 lead at halftime.
 
Whitmore's 12 points paced Nova over the first 20 minutes with Daniels and Dixon each adding 10 points each. Jones led all first period scorers with 14 points.
 
A couple more defensive stops and a Dixon 3-pointer from the left corner helped Villanova build a 53-46 advantage through 4:02 of the second half. The Golden Eagles, though, used pressure defense to force three turnovers, igniting a 7-0 run that tied the game at 53. When Oso Ighodaro sank a runner in the lane, Marquette moved in front 57-55.
 
After Max Prosper sank two free throws at the 7:04 mark, Marquette's lead was 64-60. But Villanova battled back and when Chris Arcidiacono beat the shot clock with a 3-pointer from the top of the key, the contest was tied at 66. There was 3:29 left on the second half clock.
 
A Propser dunk put Marquette back on top 68-66 with 1:41 to play. Villanova was unable to score on its next possession and Tyler Kolek grabbed the carom. The 'Cats then fouled on three consecutive possessions to put Jones on the line. The miss gave them a chance but they couldn't make the final basket.
 
"I think the next step for us is just (working) on every little detail," said Daniels. "I think we are turning a corner in terms of doing what we do, playing Villanova Basketball. If we pump it up a little bit, take it to another level, I think we'll be fine."
 
 The Wildcats open the 2023 portion of their schedule on Wednesday night in Washington, D.C. against the Georgetown Hoyas.