Villanova found itself nine points behind Marquette at home and once again needed someone to play the hero role at the end.
The Wildcats managed just one field goal in nearly nine minutes of play, which gave Marquette a 66-57 lead. In the final six minutes of the game, it was Tyler Perkins’ time to take control of the game.
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Perkins hit back-to-back 3-pointers to cut the Wildcats’ deficit to three with five minutes left. After Ben Gold put Marquette back within six points, Perkins hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead in half, then grabbed a rebound and Acaden Lewis made a layup to give Villanova a 73-72 lead with 1:39 left.
Defensively, the Wildcats needed a stop and Perkins was fouled after a steal and made two free throws. To add to his all-around performance, Perkins blocked Adrian Stevens’ late shot and took control of the ball as the clock hit zero.
Perkins scored 22 points on 7-for-16 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds to help Villanova win 77-74 at Finneran Pavilion.
Villanova (19-5, 10-3) showed aggression and took a double-digit lead midway through the first half. The Golden Eagles (9-16, 4-10) extended their lead to four points at halftime. Two minutes into the second half, Marquette went on a 7-2 run to take the lead for the first time.
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As the game wore on, it became clear that Marquette wasn’t going away, and Villanova wasn’t going to stop them — especially at the free throw line.
The Wildcats have struggled at the free throw line all season. They made 18 of 31 free throws in this game, but finished with six free throws. The Golden Eagles shot 18-for-20 from the field but made 15 3-point attempts while Villanova shot 13-for-34 from the field.
Lewis scored 15 points and 5 assists, and Matt Hodge scored 13 points and hit a three-pointer.
Bryce Lindsay continued to perform poorly, scoring only 4 points on 1 of 8 shots from the field and 1 of 6 three-pointers.
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Villanova has now won four straight and seven of its past nine games. The Wildcats return to action Saturday on the road against Creighton.
The Wildcats seem firmly entrenched in a berth in the NCAA Tournament, but nothing can be taken for granted. Perkins led the way in helping Villanova avoid a crushing home defeat.
