Marcus Foster hit a three with less than 10 seconds remaining to lift the Bluejays over Xavier, setting up a date with the Wildcats in the final. Nova won both meetings with Creighton this season, one in a Big East battle and the other by running away in the second half to a comfortable victory.
The first meeting was a matchup of undefeated teams. Nova went into a hostile environment and handed Creighton its first loss of the season. The Cats emerged from a tight, tough affair with an 80-70 victory. Jalen Brunson was fantastic with 27 points on 10-14 shooting, five assists, and four rebounds. Josh Hart had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Kris Jenkins poured in 21 points. The Cats shot 51% and 37% from three. They did an excellent job on the boards, out-rebounding Creighton 37-22.
Creighton shot 49% from the floor, but just 25% from three. Nova also had a six-point advantage from the free throw line. Marcus Foster did his usual thing, netting 22 points, but shot just 2-11 from three. Justin Patton enjoyed a productive night as well, with 18 points on 9-12 FG and 8 rebounds. Maurice Watson Jr. had just six points on 2-7, but he did dish out nine assists. Breakout sophomore Khyri Thomas was held to just seven points.
Nova erased a 10-point deficit in the first half, while Creighton battled back from seven down in the second half before big plays from Hart and Brunson allowed Nova to close the deal. The perimeter defense was huge for Nova, as Creighton entered the game leading the country in three-point percentage.
The glaring difference entering the second game was the absence of Watson Jr. But Foster stepped up big time, scoring 25 points and dishing eight assists. Thomas had 17 points and five assists, but otherwise no one really got anything going for the Bluejays. The Cats did a much better job on Patton, holding him to just four points and five rebounds. Davion Mintz and Isaiah Zierden, the players getting the majority of Watson's minutes, were held scoreless. Nova forced 16 turnovers and conceded just six free throws.
Offensively, the Cats struggled from three, knocking down just 21%, but still managed to shoot 53% from the field. They again won the rebounding battle, 33-28. Nova had a huge advantage from the free throw line, where they shot 17-22, making them +13 from the line.
Eric Paschall had an excellent game with 19 points and six rebounds. Hart chipped in 16 points and seven rebounds. Mikal Bridges added 11 points, eight rebounds, and five steals (Nova had 11 steals in the game.) Jenkins had 15 points, while Brunson and DiVincenzo had nine each.
After a tight first half that ended in a 33-33 tie, Nova pulled away in the second half for a 79-63 victory on the strength of Paschall and Hart. Bridges and DiVincenzo made some key plays as well.
Nova was bolstered by solid shooting in each meeting with Creighton, particularly from inside the arc. They exploited the free throw line. But defense and rebounding were the keys in each victory. That should be the case again. The Bluejays were hot offensively in their semifinal matchup with Xavier, shooting 55% from the floor and 65% from three. They had decent balance, with Foster and Patton getting 21 each, while Thomas had 10, Zierden had nine, and Cole Huff had 11. Against Providence in the quarterfinals, they weren't as impressive offensively, but they shot 33 free throws and forced 22 turnovers.
Nova will need to replicate their efforts from the first two meetings in terms of perimeter defense. Foster has been excellent against Villanova this season, but the Cats have done an a very good job limiting the players around him, and that seems to be the way to approach this game as well. Nova did a great job at not fouling Creighton while drawing fouls of their own, as they have done pretty much all season, and that is another area they should look to exploit. Ball security is another area of focus. Nova has been solid in the Big East Tournament in that regard, committing just seven turnovers against St. John's and 12 against Seton Hall.
Villanova clearly has had success against Creighton this season, and will look to continue that in the final. The Bluejays will look to build off of their performance against Xavier. They enter the game with a bit of a chip on their shoulder, as they try to make a statement to the selection committee and the college basketball world that they are still a threat despite being without Watson.
The first meeting was a matchup of undefeated teams. Nova went into a hostile environment and handed Creighton its first loss of the season. The Cats emerged from a tight, tough affair with an 80-70 victory. Jalen Brunson was fantastic with 27 points on 10-14 shooting, five assists, and four rebounds. Josh Hart had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Kris Jenkins poured in 21 points. The Cats shot 51% and 37% from three. They did an excellent job on the boards, out-rebounding Creighton 37-22.
Creighton shot 49% from the floor, but just 25% from three. Nova also had a six-point advantage from the free throw line. Marcus Foster did his usual thing, netting 22 points, but shot just 2-11 from three. Justin Patton enjoyed a productive night as well, with 18 points on 9-12 FG and 8 rebounds. Maurice Watson Jr. had just six points on 2-7, but he did dish out nine assists. Breakout sophomore Khyri Thomas was held to just seven points.
Nova erased a 10-point deficit in the first half, while Creighton battled back from seven down in the second half before big plays from Hart and Brunson allowed Nova to close the deal. The perimeter defense was huge for Nova, as Creighton entered the game leading the country in three-point percentage.
The glaring difference entering the second game was the absence of Watson Jr. But Foster stepped up big time, scoring 25 points and dishing eight assists. Thomas had 17 points and five assists, but otherwise no one really got anything going for the Bluejays. The Cats did a much better job on Patton, holding him to just four points and five rebounds. Davion Mintz and Isaiah Zierden, the players getting the majority of Watson's minutes, were held scoreless. Nova forced 16 turnovers and conceded just six free throws.
Offensively, the Cats struggled from three, knocking down just 21%, but still managed to shoot 53% from the field. They again won the rebounding battle, 33-28. Nova had a huge advantage from the free throw line, where they shot 17-22, making them +13 from the line.
Eric Paschall had an excellent game with 19 points and six rebounds. Hart chipped in 16 points and seven rebounds. Mikal Bridges added 11 points, eight rebounds, and five steals (Nova had 11 steals in the game.) Jenkins had 15 points, while Brunson and DiVincenzo had nine each.
After a tight first half that ended in a 33-33 tie, Nova pulled away in the second half for a 79-63 victory on the strength of Paschall and Hart. Bridges and DiVincenzo made some key plays as well.
Nova was bolstered by solid shooting in each meeting with Creighton, particularly from inside the arc. They exploited the free throw line. But defense and rebounding were the keys in each victory. That should be the case again. The Bluejays were hot offensively in their semifinal matchup with Xavier, shooting 55% from the floor and 65% from three. They had decent balance, with Foster and Patton getting 21 each, while Thomas had 10, Zierden had nine, and Cole Huff had 11. Against Providence in the quarterfinals, they weren't as impressive offensively, but they shot 33 free throws and forced 22 turnovers.
Nova will need to replicate their efforts from the first two meetings in terms of perimeter defense. Foster has been excellent against Villanova this season, but the Cats have done an a very good job limiting the players around him, and that seems to be the way to approach this game as well. Nova did a great job at not fouling Creighton while drawing fouls of their own, as they have done pretty much all season, and that is another area they should look to exploit. Ball security is another area of focus. Nova has been solid in the Big East Tournament in that regard, committing just seven turnovers against St. John's and 12 against Seton Hall.
Villanova clearly has had success against Creighton this season, and will look to continue that in the final. The Bluejays will look to build off of their performance against Xavier. They enter the game with a bit of a chip on their shoulder, as they try to make a statement to the selection committee and the college basketball world that they are still a threat despite being without Watson.