Eric Dixon scored 31 points, Wooga Poplar had 12 points and 10 rebounds and Villanova handed No. 14 Cincinnati its first loss of the season with a 68-60 victory Tuesday night.
The Wildcats (5-4) got the win they needed from third-year coach Kyle Neptune, who hasn’t led the program to the NCAA Tournament in his first two seasons. The Neptunes picked up a win two weeks after Villanova hired Eric Roedl as its new athletic director, a good first impression under a new head coach who needs every win he can get to get off the hot seat.
Jizzle James scored 19 points for the Bearcats (6-1).
The Wildcats led by six points until Dixon, who played on the 2022 Final Four team, hit back-to-back 3-pointers to make it 61-49.
The taker
Cincinnati: The Bearcats are off to a 7-0 start for the second straight season.
Villanova: Even with the win, the Wildcats’ high hopes for March may have ended with losses at Columbia and Saint Joseph. They can hope to turn it around in the Big East portion of the schedule.
Time is important
Villanova’s Tyler Perkins hit a 3-pointer to cap a 13-2 halftime lead, and Jhamir Brickus hit a 3-pointer at halftime for a 37-28 lead.
Key statistics
The Bearcats shot just 38% overall from the floor after making at least 50% of their shots in the first five games, their longest streak since 2002.
Next
The Bearcats host Howard on Sunday, and Villanova plays crosstown rival Temple on Saturday in the Big 5 Classic at the Wells Fargo Center.
It is reported by the Associated Press.
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