Well, that game did not play out the way anyone expected it to or wanted it to, but ultimately Nova escapes with the 68-65 win over a pesky DePaul team.
After opening up a 12-point second half lead, the Cats allowed DePaul to go on a 14-0 run to take the lead and set the stage for a nail-biter. Thanks to Josh Hart and a huge defensive play by Bridges, Nova was able to come out on top.
Hart was stellar again, with 25 points and 6 rebounds. He took over the final minutes of the game and carried his team to victory. Brunson had 13 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds. Jenkins added 12 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, and an assist. Bridges had 8 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block. DiVincenzo had 4, Reynolds had 3 and 5 rebounds, and Paschall had 3 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and a block.
Nova had way too many turnovers with 14, and need to start valuing the ball more. Conversely, they only forced 7 turnovers against a team that entered the game averaging 14 a night. The Cats also shot an uncharacteristic 69% from the free-throw line. They had a bit of a cold night from beyond the arc as well, shooting 31%.
So the question is how do we view this game? The pessimist view would be that the disturbing trends of slow starts and playing down to the competition continued. That the turnover problem, which seemed to be under control, has reemerged. That Jenkins' shooting woes have continued and we are seeing a regression. And that Nova barely escaped going to overtime against a 7-6 team who is a perennial bottom-feeder in the Big East and who has lost to Rutgers, UIC, and Missouri State this season.
The optimist view would be that Nova didn't play their best game and still found a way to win. That they know how to win tight games. That a Big East win is a Big East win and the Cats are 1-0 in the conference. That getting a test and a scare is actually a good thing that can wake a team up and build character. That Nova is 13-0 and #1 in the country, and has won 19 straight games.
Personally, I think it's somewhere in the middle. It wasn't Nova's best performance, but they got the job done in spite of that. These types of games can serve as wake-up calls and pay dividends later in the season, and perhaps this one came at just the right time when considering the upcoming schedule. The turnovers have to be cleaned up. Turning the ball over 14 times and/or having a -7 turnover ratio is begging for disaster against most teams in the Big East, and in win-or-go-home tournament games. The slow starts also need to be addressed. Against top-tier competition you have to play a full 40 minutes. The fact that this was just the second game the Cats have played in the last 15 days also plays a role, and perhaps the poor shooting can be attributed to the rust. But the focus and intensity needs to pick up. Fortunately, Nova has the coach, the talent, and the experience to make the necessary corrections and adjustments.
Ultimately, I think 13-0 record and wins over Purdue, Notre Dame, Temple, and Wake Forest are more indicative of who this team is and where they are at than a disappointing performance against DePaul. They certainly can't afford to have a lot of performances like this one, but they won and are in literally as good a position as anyone could have hoped. It will be interesting to see how they respond on Saturday for a tough game at Creighton, with a brutal stretch of schedule looming.
After opening up a 12-point second half lead, the Cats allowed DePaul to go on a 14-0 run to take the lead and set the stage for a nail-biter. Thanks to Josh Hart and a huge defensive play by Bridges, Nova was able to come out on top.
Hart was stellar again, with 25 points and 6 rebounds. He took over the final minutes of the game and carried his team to victory. Brunson had 13 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds. Jenkins added 12 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, and an assist. Bridges had 8 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block. DiVincenzo had 4, Reynolds had 3 and 5 rebounds, and Paschall had 3 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and a block.
Nova had way too many turnovers with 14, and need to start valuing the ball more. Conversely, they only forced 7 turnovers against a team that entered the game averaging 14 a night. The Cats also shot an uncharacteristic 69% from the free-throw line. They had a bit of a cold night from beyond the arc as well, shooting 31%.
So the question is how do we view this game? The pessimist view would be that the disturbing trends of slow starts and playing down to the competition continued. That the turnover problem, which seemed to be under control, has reemerged. That Jenkins' shooting woes have continued and we are seeing a regression. And that Nova barely escaped going to overtime against a 7-6 team who is a perennial bottom-feeder in the Big East and who has lost to Rutgers, UIC, and Missouri State this season.
The optimist view would be that Nova didn't play their best game and still found a way to win. That they know how to win tight games. That a Big East win is a Big East win and the Cats are 1-0 in the conference. That getting a test and a scare is actually a good thing that can wake a team up and build character. That Nova is 13-0 and #1 in the country, and has won 19 straight games.
Personally, I think it's somewhere in the middle. It wasn't Nova's best performance, but they got the job done in spite of that. These types of games can serve as wake-up calls and pay dividends later in the season, and perhaps this one came at just the right time when considering the upcoming schedule. The turnovers have to be cleaned up. Turning the ball over 14 times and/or having a -7 turnover ratio is begging for disaster against most teams in the Big East, and in win-or-go-home tournament games. The slow starts also need to be addressed. Against top-tier competition you have to play a full 40 minutes. The fact that this was just the second game the Cats have played in the last 15 days also plays a role, and perhaps the poor shooting can be attributed to the rust. But the focus and intensity needs to pick up. Fortunately, Nova has the coach, the talent, and the experience to make the necessary corrections and adjustments.
Ultimately, I think 13-0 record and wins over Purdue, Notre Dame, Temple, and Wake Forest are more indicative of who this team is and where they are at than a disappointing performance against DePaul. They certainly can't afford to have a lot of performances like this one, but they won and are in literally as good a position as anyone could have hoped. It will be interesting to see how they respond on Saturday for a tough game at Creighton, with a brutal stretch of schedule looming.