Can anyone stop Villanova?
Sunday’s victory over Syracuse was a game to remember. Dwayne Anderson scored a career-high 22 points—including two key baskets during what proved to be a decisive 11-0 run midway through the second half for Villanova. Anderson wasn’t the only Wildcat on the roster to bring the heat to the Orange. Corey Fisher added 16 points and was one of six players to score in double digits for the Wildcats (22-5, 10-4), who won for the eighth time in nine games and took another step in securing their spot among the top five in the heavily contested Big East Conference standings.
Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the court, Syracuse attempted to counter attack Villanova’s defense by shooting 3’s like there was no tomorrow. Unable to work inside against the Wildcats’ swarming defense, the Orange were limited to taking outside shots and attempted a season-high 39 3-point attempts—14 more than they had attempted in a game this season. What was the result? The Orange were only able to sink in 12 of those 3’s and eventually lost a nail bitter to the Wildcats, 89-86. Although Syracuse mounted numerous comebacks after trailing by as many as 12 points in the first half, and 10 in the second, they shot themselves in the foot. Syracuse’s Eric Devendorf, followed by Paul Harris and finally Jonny Flynn all missed 3-point attempts in a furious final 10 seconds.
So who is Villanova’s next victims? Georgetown will face off the Wildcats this Saturday, while Providence will get a chance to battle Villanova on 3-5-09. Don’t miss the chance to grab some NCAA basketball tickets and enjoy a great game at stubhub.com.
