Final Score: Villanova 59, DePaul 49
 
Overview
 
A standout defensive effort helped carry Villanova past DePaul on Wednesday night at Wintrust Arena. Jordan Longino paced the Wildcats with 17 points.
 
The Wildcats limited the Blue Demons to .308 shooting on the night, including 7-of-36 from beyond the 3-point arc (.194).
 
"Our guys are putting a lot of energy into defense," stated Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune. "We found a way to get it done.
 
"At the end of the day you're going to have games where your offense isn't clicking, or you aren't making shots. That's why we really prioritize defense and rebounding."
 
Points Were Precious Early
 
After a 3-pointer on the game's first possession from Wooga Poplar, both teams struggled to put points on the board. Nearly six minutes into the contest, Nova held a 5-4 lead. The issue for the Wildcats was turnovers: Villanova committed five in the first 5:48 of the contest.
 
A David Thomas 3-pointer midway through the period gave DePaul its first lead of the night at 11-10 before a Jhamir Brickus triple gave the 'Cats the lead at 12-11. When Chris Riddle sent a slam through at the 7:51 mark, DePaul led 15-14.
 
The Wildcats were just 5-of-15 from the field over the first 12:09 of the game and had seven turnovers.
 
Stalwarts Step Forward
 
Two of the longest tenured Wildcats, Jordan Longino and Eric Dixon, provided a touch of offense for the Wildcats late in the first half, allowing them to craft a 22-19 edge. The Wildcats took a 29-26 lead into the locker room at halftime.
 
Longino paced Nova with 11 points while Dixon added seven points. Villanova a 22-17 edge on the backboards but the nine turnovers allowed the Blue Demons to stick close.
 
Second Act
 
Riding the offense of Poplar and Longino, the Wildcats pushed their advantage to 38-32 five minutes into the period. DePaul dropped in its third triple of the half to shave the deficit to 38-35 a short while later.
 
"We have a lot of guys who can score," Neptune stated. "I thought Wooga was great in the second half. Jordan was great throughout. They both came up with some timely buckets for us."
 
Villanova expanded its lead to 51-42 with 7:22 on the clock. Some good work from Dixon on a night when DePaul's defense had largely contained the nation's leading scorer, helped propel Nova. Dixon sank four three throws in that stretch while the defense forced a couple of turnovers from the Blue Demons,
 
Tyler Perkins and Dixon subsequently dropped in clutch 3-pointers that helped Villanova edge its lead to 57-47 at the 3:52 mark. Both teams struggled to get points in the final minutes but at every turn, the Wildcats had a defensive answer each time.
 
The final was 59-49
 
What They Said
 
Neptune: "This is a tough place to play. Some teams have come in here, gone to overtime and had a tough time. At the end of the day I was proud of the way our guys competed."
 
On Perkins' timely contributions: "Tyler was great. I thought he gave us a lot of energy defensively. He made a couple of shots, which is great, but the big thing is he keeps defending and rebounding for us."
 
Up Next
 
The Wildcats return to Philadelphia for a Super Bowl Sunday matinee against Xavier at the Wells Fargo Center (FS1 and the Villanova Sports Network on IHeart). Tipoff is set for just after noon.