Villanova's 73-57 defeat of Xavier was a matchup between two of the top teams in the Big East. Villanova had every upper hand though as their flawless execution foiled the Musketeers’ stagnant offense.
After Xavier's leading scorer Trevon Bluiett left the floor with an injury during the first half, the Wildcats and Musketeers shortened to six. Quentin Goodin, Malcolm Bernard, and JP Macura nearly went the distance for Xavier, as did Villanova's Josh Hart, Kris Jenkins and Mikal Bridges. Both teams played a lot of zone to keep their stars out of foul trouble, slowing down the pace for two of the conference’s fastest teams.