Wildcat Wrap
 
Final Score: Wildcats 80, Seton Hall 54
 
Overview: Villanova coupled its most efficient shooting game since a Jan. 12 victory over DePaul with another tenacious defensive effort as it rolled to an 80-54 BIG EAST triumph over Seton Hall in a Super Bowl Sunday appetizer played before 13,754 at Wells Fargo Center.
 
For the third straight league contest, Villanova held the opponent below 60 points. The Pirates were 20-of-50 (.400) from the field on the day and the 'Cats forced 15 turnovers, leading to a 19-10 advantage in points off of turnovers.
 
At the other end, VU was 30-of-56 from the floor (.536), including 14-of-30 (.476) from beyond the 3-point arc. Seven different Wildcats made at least one triple, with Brendan Hausen draining 5-of-8 as part of a 17-point effort.
 
"I thought that was one of our best efforts both defensively and on the glass," stated Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune. "Our guys came out with a lot of energy. When we defend and rebound like that, I think we've got a chance against anybody."
 
An Early Nova Burst: The Wildcats were in synch offensively for the first 4:33, sinking four of five field goal attempts to build an 11-5 lead over the Pirates. Seton Hall then forced three Villanova turnovers to help slice the Wildcats' advantage to 13-9 with 11:18 to play in the first period.
 
When Tyler Burton knocked down a corner 3-pointer, the Villanova lead was 18-11. Seton Hall pulled to within 18-16 but Villanova used a 10-5 spurt fueled by Eric Dixon and Brendan Hausen to push the margin to 28-21 at the final official timeout of the first half.
 
Villanova closed the half strong, adding 3-pointers from Hausen and Mark Armstrong to craft a 39-24 edge at intermission.
 
Dixon led all scorers in the period with 12 points.
 
Helping Hands: When Villanova's offense has been in groove over the past decade it is usually reflected in a healthy assists column. That was certainly the case over the first 20 minutes as the Wildcats delivered 10 assists on their 15 first half field goals.
 
At the defensive end, VU forced eight Pirates turnovers.
 
After Intermission: Hausen's third triple of the afternoon helped Villanova push its lead to 45-29 early in the second half. The Pirates responded with five straight points but a 9-0 burst midway through the period stretched the Wildcats margin to 54-34 at the midway point of the second half.
 
The game was fully in VU's control the rest of the way.
 
"We've got guys who can make shots," stated Neptune of the offensive effort. "We work on it all the time. I'm not surprised when we make shots. That's probably the thing you can control the least in basketball. When you make shots and defend like that, you definitely give yourself a great chance."
 
The final was 80-54.
 
Burton Sparkled on his Birthday: On his 24^th birthday, Tyler Burton played a significant defensive role, coming up with six rebounds and five steals to go with his five points.
 
The five swipes were the most by a Wildcat since Justin Moore had five in a Dec. 1, 2019 victory over La Salle.
 
What They Said: Hausen has scored 43 points over his last three games (14.3 ppg) and was asked about the increased production after the game.
 
"We go back after each game, watch the film and look for places we can attack teams," said the sophomore from Amarillo, Tex. "Credit to Coach (Neptune) and the other coaches for getting me to those spots and my teammates for finding me. I've been just playing it one day at a time, playing off my shot, taking what the defense gives me."
 
Added Neptune: "Most of our stuff is read and react. Our guys try to play together and look for each other. B (Brendan) being open for 3's is a good option for us and our guys do a good job of trying to find him."