The Marquette Golden Eagles (5-10, 0-4 BIG EAST) buckled under the weight of a long-range bombardment from the Villanova Wildcats (9-6, 3-2 BIG EAST) on Friday evening. Nova sank 16 three-pointers to beat the Golden Eagles, 82-75, and keep them winless in BIG EAST play.
From the opening tip, Villanova’s strategy was about as clear as could be — fire away from beyond the arc. Eight of the Wildcats’ first nine shots were three-pointers, which contributed to Villanova’s endgame total of 39 three-point attempts. A full 60 percent of the Wildcats’ shots on Saturday night were threes.
Perhaps the only thing more unbelievable than the Wildcats’ shot selection was the fact that their strategy worked, at least in the first half.