Villanova vs. Purdue: Live Score, Highlights and Reaction
No. 3 Villanova 79, No. 15 Purdue 76
The No. 3 Villanova Wildcats squeaked out a three-point victory over the No. 15 Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena on Monday.
Purdue struggled to keep up with the Wildcats for parts of the first half as big men Caleb Swanigan and Isaac Haas sat on the bench in foul trouble.
However, the Boilermakers pulled level at the halftime buzzer, when PJ Thompson drained a shot from just over halfcourt.
The defending champions burst out to a double-digit lead at the start of the second half behind Josh Hart, but Purdue once again responded as Haas found a rhythm on the blocks.
Purdue tried to extend the game by fouling Villanova's guards, but the strategy failed as the Wildcats made their final eight foul shots, the last four came from sophomore guard Jalen Brunson.
Hart led all scorers with 24 points and three other Wildcats found their way into double digits, including sophomore Eric Paschall, who scored all 11 of his points in the second half.
Haas led Purdue with 22 points, while Swanigan added 20 points and eight rebounds in defeat.
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