NEW YORK, N.Y. – The BIG EAST Player of the Year Colin Gillespie scored 17 points, all in the second half, to lead No. 8 Villanova to a 54-48 win over fourth-seeded Creighton in the championship game of the BIG EAST Tournament on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
Villanova (26-8) won its first title since 2019 and their fifth BIG EAST Tournament title since the realignment in 2014. Creighton (22-11) fell to 0-4 in BIG EAST Tournament title games with the loss.
Creighton struggled from the field in the opening eight minutes, going 2-for-10 from the field as Villanova scored the first seven points of the game and held a 10-5 lead at the second media timeout.