Villanova Basketball: Wildcats Affirm Elite Status with Gritty Win vs. Syracuse

In their 82-77 overtime victory over rival Syracuse University, the No. 7 Villanova University Wildcats were punched in the gut on numerous occasions.

Instead of letting the Orange walk all over them in the second half like last season's meeting between the old Big East Conference foes, the Wildcats responded to every shot they took. 

The Wildcats didn't have their best statistical day, but they made up for the lack of standout numbers with an impressive amount of grit, especially in the paint. 

The duo of JayVaughn Pinkston and Daniel Ochefu was relentless down low on offense in a game that saw two of the team's three starting guards combine for four points. 

Pinkston, who won the game against Michigan in November with a basket and a block, made the game-tying basket with four seconds remaining in regulation to send the game into overtime. 

The senior forward recorded game highs in points (25) and rebounds (10), and he also stayed out of foul trouble for majority of the game, which is something Syracuse's big men failed to do. 

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Thanks to his elusiveness and footwork in the paint while being surrounded by multiple defenders, Pinkston was able cause chaos in the Syracuse frontcourt. By the time the game ended, Rakeem Christmas, Michael Gbinije and Chris McCullough all fouled out. 

Although he only scored six points, Ochefu was a menace in his own way with eight rebounds and two blocks while Pinkston took care of business on the offensive side of the ball.

Ochefu also made a key hustle play with 5:39 left in the first half. At that point in the game, Villanova was on the verge of getting knocked out of the game. 

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Despite the double-digit lead held by the Orange, Ochefu scored a key basket and then sprinted to earn a steal on defense. Ochefu was able to keep the ball in play and find Darrun Hilliard for a layup. After a basket by Pinkston a few seconds later, the Wildcats were down by seven and back in the game. 

Another big run at the start of the second half handed the Wildcats another lifeline, as they cut their deficit from 12 to four in a three-minute span. From that point on, Villanova hung around but never took hold of the lead. 

Villanova's final impressive spurt in regulation forced the overtime period, as Josh Hart and Pinkston scored on a 5-0 run over the final 14 seconds of the second half. 

With the momentum fully thrust behind them, the Wildcats closed out a game some so-called elite names in college basketball wouldn't have been able to. 

In the gritty victory, some of the key players for the Wildcats made valuable contributions, despite what the numbers may say. 

The biggest example of that came from junior guard Ryan Arcidiacono, who played strong defense despite having a rough outing from the field. Led by Arcidiacono's strong play in the backcourt, Villanova forced Syracuse into a season-high 20 turnovers. 

"

Wright said he is "definitely" glad his team experienced a game like this. "It's not a matter of coming out perfect...it's how you react"

— Tyler R. Tynes (@TylerRickyTynes) December 20, 2014"

The starting guards were also wise in their decision-making on offense, as Arcidiacono and Dylan Ennis combined for just nine field-goal attempts. 

Both players noticed they were having off-days from the field, and instead of forcing their shots, they decided to make the extra pass against the daunting Syracuse zone. 

In certain games last season, Arcidiacono had a tendency to keep firing away from three-point range regardless of how bad the Wildcats were down. 

By not attempting every open shot available on a day in which he shot 1-of-5 from the field, Arcidiacono proved he has matured in his third season as a starter. 

By flashing their intangibles on both sides of the ball during the rivalry showdown with the Orange, the Wildcats were able to assert themselves as one of the best teams in the nation. 

"

Boeheim: "I don't see (Villanova) fading away. Their a top-6 or 7 team. I think they'll stay there."

— Tyler R. Tynes (@TylerRickyTynes) December 20, 2014"

With an improved Big East staring them straight in the face after Tuesday's home meeting with NJIT, the Wildcats needed a game like this to strike a bit of fear into their conference opponents. 

Villanova may not go 18-0 in the Big East, and it may not make a deep run in March. But with the grit and determination on display Saturday, Jay Wright's team proved it is going to give every team left on its schedule a major dogfight. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.