No. 10 Marquette edged No. 14 Villanova 66-65 to end the Wildcats’ 11-game winning streak and hand them their first BIG EAST loss on a Saturday when all 10 league teams were in action and three of the five games were decided in the final minute. At the end of the day, five teams were tied for third place with 5-6 records.
Marquette, 20-4 overall and 9-2 in the BIG EAST, took a 57-55 lead on a basket by Markus Howard with 5:05 remaining, then held off the Wildcats. Howard scored 38 points, which included 5-of-11 from 3-point range and 7-of-7 from the foul line.