Villanova Loses First Game of Season

After starting of the season 13-0, which is tied for best career start for the program, Villanova went down with the defeat in over time against Seton Hall. It took more than regulation to defeat Villanova, but Seton Hall was able to win 66-61. Many factors played into this game. One factor that contributed to this game is Villanova played away from home in a jam packed arena in Newark, NJ. Throughout the game, it was visible that the crowd played a role in Seton Hall's success, as this was the first time a Seton Hall game was sold out in over 20 years.
        The biggest worry all day for the Wildcats was covering the Seton Hall Pirates best player Sterling Gibbs. He wrecked the Wildcats defense and scored 20 points on 8-20 shooting. (40%). He also contributed to the offense and dished out 4 assists. He was contained pretty well in the second half, as he was doubled nearly every time he touched the ball.
       For the Wildcats, the leading scorers was junior forward Daniel Ochefu with 19 points and senior guard Darrun Hilliard II with 14. The most notable player that struggled in the game was JayVaughn Pinkston and Ryan Arcidiacono, who contribute significantly on the offensive side of the game. But the major weakness Villanova had all season continued today, as they lacked points off the bench, and continuously turning the ball over. Nova turned it over 16 times, but they had about 4-5 in the overtime period which proved to be very costly. In just of series of 30 seconds, Seton Hall was able to capitalize off Nova's turnovers and convert it into points down the other end. The 3 guys coming off of Nova's bench scored a total of 15 points, which is below average in many close games. Seton Hall had Khadeen Carrington, who was a great compliment to Sterling Gibbs, and expose the Villanova defense. He had a total of 17 points, and torched the defense in the final minutes of the game. Seton Hall also kept the number of turnovers in the game. They only had 11, with many coming in the first half. Looking ahead following the win, they play Xavier, Creighton, and Butler in Big East play and look to extend their 12-2 record on the season. Following the loss, Jay Wright will have to have his team bounce back against #15 St. John's, DePaul and Xavier. They have to avenge their loss in order to stay near the top of the AP Rankings.