Kris Jenkins scored 21 points, and No. 3 Villanova smothered Providence’s stars Ben Bentil and Kris Dunn on defense, earning a 76-68 victory in the semifinals of the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden.
The Wildcats will face Seton Hall in the championship game after Khadeen Carrington scored 23 points to lead the Pirates to a 87-83 win over No. 5 Xavier.
Ryan Arcidiacono added 15 points for Villanova, and the hobbled center Daniel Ochefu scored all 8 of his points in the final 6 minutes 41 seconds, helping the top-seeded Wildcats (29-4) hold on down the stretch.