Final Score: Villanova 75, Providence 73
 
Overview
 
Villanova (12-7 overall, 5-3 BIG EAST) rallied from a 37-32 halftime deficit, regained the lead, and then held off a persistent Providence squad in a BIG EAST game played Friday night at the Wells Fargo Center.
 
The nation's leading scorer, Eric Dixon, supplied 23 points and eight rebounds for the Wildcats. Jhamir Brickus added 18 points and four assists while Wooga Poplar recorded his fifth double-double as a Wildcat with 15 points and 13 rebounds.
 
"We give a lot of credit to Providence," stated Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune. "They made it tough. Those dudes are fighters over there. There were a couple of times in the second half when I thought we had it going a little bit and they just kept coming back.
 
"I was proud of the way our guys fought. This is the Big East. Top to bottom I would say it's the best league in the country. You face high-level coaches every night. Glad our guys pulled it out."
 
Defense Drove the Early Minutes
 
The teams were a combined 0-of-10 from the field over the first three minutes of the contest, with each squad misfiring on five attempts. Justyn Fernandez got the first points of the night for the Friars before Eric Dixon scored on a drive to get the Wildcats into the scoring column. The game was tied at two after 4:09.
 
Wooga Poplar dropped in a 3-pointer and Jhamir Brickus sank a short jumper but the points were still tough to come by at both ends of the Wells Fargo Center court.
 
"We felt like we were getting good looks," said Neptune. "They weren't falling early. That's why we focus on defense and rebounding."
 
'Cats Guards Step Forward
 
Midway through the period the Wildcats rode the offense of two guards, Jordan Longino and Poplar, to a 19-14 lead. Longino poured in seven quick points, including a pair of 3-pointers, while Poplar drained his second triple of the night to fuel the offense. Meanwhile, Fernandez kept the Friars' close with a couple of deep triples of his own.
 
The Wildcats built a 23-14 lead before Providence sank three consecutive shots from distance as part of a 9-0 run to tie it at 23.
 
The Friars used a 14-6 burst to grab the lead at halftime, 37-32.
 
Brickus Helps Lift the 'Cats
 
Brickus kicked his offense into high gear in the early part of the second half, helping Villanova recapture the lead and stretch it to 55-49 with 10:44 to play in the period after a pair of free throws from the La Salle transfer.
 
The Friars outscored the 'Cats 10-2 over the next 2:59, with Bensley Joseph doing much of the damage (he finished with 20 points and seven rebounds). But baskets from Longino and a thundering dunk by Poplar put the Wildcats back on top. Dixon later drilled a 3-pointer to make it 64-61 with 6:05 left.
 
That set up a tense final stretch.
 
Perk Lends a Hand
 
Though he ended the night with four points, sophomore guard Tyler Perkins made his presence felt in the final minutes with a series of key plays, including a rebound basket with 43 seconds left that snapped a 71-71 tie. He later came up with a steal in the corner with the Friars trailing by two points and less than four seconds left.
 
"I call Tyler Perkins the battery," Neptune said. "He brings a lot of juice, a lot of energy every time he is on the court. Make shots, miss shots, that's going to happen. He's a good shooter and a great scorer. That's kind of what he was. For our program, he's so much more than that. He's a great dude and a great teammate."
 
What They Said
 
Brickus: "I just really try to take what the defense gives me. Coach has to yell at me to shoot the ball because I come out there looking to make plays for my teammates. Having the hot hand allowed me to create more for my teammates."
 
Neptune: "When you're playing at this level, it often comes down to one or two plays. They could have run a lob play for a dunk on that last play and it could have worked out differently for us. In the last two games, we didn't have the result we wanted at the end of the game. It really comes down to the little things – a rebound, a deflection, a steal. Just getting one more stop. That can all dramatically shift results."
 
Up Next
 
The Wildcats return to Finneran Pavilion on Monday to host Georgetown on the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday at 6 p.m. FS1 will carry the game nationally while the audio broadcast can be heard on the Villanova Sports Network on IHeart.