Quick Report: Villanova 72, Seton Hall 63

Teddy Bailey (@TheTeddyBailey)
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After taking care of Creighton on the road, No. 11 Villanova returned home to face another strong Big East opponent. Despite shooting just 4-of-22 from 3-point range, senior forward Daniel Ochefu scored a game-high 20 points and 18 rebounds to get Villanova past Seton Hall, 72-63.

At first …
Villanova and Seton Hall were locked into a back-and-forth battle from the very start, as the Wildcats led 10-8 within the first ten minutes of the game. Villanova led by as much as nine points in the first half before ending the half with a 30-23 lead. Senior forward Daniel Ochefu tallied nine points and eight rebounds to pace the ‘Cats, but a poor shooting performance helped Seton Hall stay in the game.

Turning point …
Seton Hall freshman wing Veer Singh hit a 3-pointer to cut Villanova’s lead to just 42-40 with 11:46 remaining, the closest that the Pirates had come since leading early in the game. The Wildcats led by three with under ten minutes remaining before five Villanova free throws sparked a 7-0 Wildcat run. ‘Nova was able to extend its lead to double-digits after a Josh Hart trey gave the ‘Cats a 63-49 lead with 4:06 remaining.

Standout stars …
Daniel Ochefu held the Wildcats together in a subpar shooting performance from Jay Wright’s group. Ochefu finished with 20 points and 18 rebounds, his sixth double-double of the season. Ochefu scored his points on 6-of-13 shooting, an efficient effort as Villanova shot 21-of-58 (36.2 percent) from the floor as a team.

For Seton Hall, sophomore guard Isaiah Whitehead finished with a game-high 20 points to help the Pirates in a losing effort.

Noteworthy numbers …
*4-22*

Villanova shot just 4-of-22 in one of its toughest offensive outings of the season. Kris Jenkins was just 3-of-10 from beyond the arc, while fellow backcourt members Phil Booth, Jalen Brunson and Ryan Arcidiacono were a combined 0-of-8 from 3-point range. The Wildcats have shown that they can without the use of the long ball, but the shots weren't falling on Wednesday night against Seton Hall.

The Wildcats used a +8 rebounding edge to help an off-night on offense. Ochefu and Josh Hart were both instrumental on the boards, finishing with a combined 21 rebounds on the night. Villanova outscored Seton Hall 21-to-12 on second-chance points.

Up next …
Villanova (13-2, 3-0 Big East) @ Butler (12-3, 1-2 Big East), Jan. 10, 7:30 p.m.
Seton Hall (12-3, 2-1 Big East) vs. Creighton (11-5, 2-1 Big East), Jan. 9, 2 p.m.