Seven times DePaul went into halftime with a lead and managed to lose 4 of those games. Tonight it looked like this would be the fifth time. DePaul went into halftime leading Villanova 40-28. Through most of the second half DePaul controlled the game and up by 14 with 6 minutes left. Of course earlier this season, Villanova had a huge comeback win against LSU, down 21 with over 8 minutes left. So, this hardly seemed insurmountable for the Wildcats. Add in the DePaul propensity to collapse late in games, and this game couldn't be considered over until the final horn.
Sure enough, Villanova went on a 10-0 run to pull within 4 points with 3 minutes and change left. All momentum and energy shifted to Villanova. Finally, the Blue Demons didn't wilt. They went inside and took high percentage shots rather than hoisting bad jumpers. They also sank their free throws.
Instead it was Villanova throwing up 3s on a night they weren't falling. They got away from brought them back. Driving and penetrating. Getting DePaul to foul or give up the drive.
Given the youth on DePaul and the number of leads they have already blown this year, this game was vital as Big East play begins.
