Villanova vs. Creighton: Score and Reaction from 2016-17 Regular Season

Villanova came into Saturday having already put together one of the most impressive calendar years in college basketball history.

Why not add a road win over No. 10 Creighton to end the year in style?

The Wildcats won their 38th game of 2016, their 20th in a row overall and their 14th straight in the 2016-17 season, beating Creighton 80-70 behind Jalen Brunson's career-high 27 points, five assists and four rebounds and Josh Hart's double-double (18 points and 10 rebounds).

Kris Jenkins added 21 points for the Wildcats, while Marcus Foster (22 points), Justin Patton (18 points, eight rebounds, two blocks) and Maurice Watson (six points, nine assists) led the way for the Bluejays.

Jay Bilas of ESPN had praise for both teams after a game that was much closer than the final score indicated:

Seth Davis of CBS Sports concurred:

The defending national champions made a bit of history in the win, according to Gary Parrish of CBS Sports: 

"

If the Wildcats close 2016 with a victory at Creighton, they'll be the first program not named Duke to win a national championship, finish that same calendar year with three-or-fewer losses and enter the subsequent calendar year ranked No. 1 in the AP poll since UNLV won the 1990 national championship, finished that same calendar year with a 35-3 record and entered the subsequent calendar year ranked No. 1 in the AP poll.

"

Duke accomplished the feat in 1992 and 2001. Villanova matched it Saturday. Just another feather in the cap of Jay Wright's impressive team.

Jeff Borzello of ESPN summed up the Wildcats rather concisely:

Creighton provided the Wildcats with all they could handle, though. It was hardly surprising that the team's eighth-ranked offense kept Villanova on its toes in an electrifying first half. Foster (12 points), Cole Huff (11 points) and Patton (10 points) spearheaded Creighton's 41-point effort.

Watson, meanwhile, ran the show with aplomb, dishing out seven assists while turning the ball over just once in the opening frame. And Patton—who made all five of his shots in the first 20 minutes—exposed one of Villanova's few weaknesses: its interior defense.

Yet Villanova persevered.

Brunson (16 points) and Jenkins (13 points) paced the Wildcats, leading Villanova to a 42-41 lead at the half. Brunson kept the Wildcats in the game, at one point scoring 11 straight points for the defending national champions. 

The two defenses tightened in the second half, however, and the teams continued to trade punches. Davis was a bit surprised to see Creighton clamp down on defense:

Fran Fraschilla of ESPN wasn't surprised to see the two teams operating at such high levels, however:

Donte DiVincenzo's jumper gave Villanova a 63-54 lead at the 10:20 mark, but Creighton fought back, scoring nine straight points to tie the game at 63 apiece with 7:41 remaining in the contest.

But Villanova's Player of the Year candidate, Hart, wouldn't let Villanova lose, scoring 11 points in the second half and six points in the final 4:10 of the game to lead the Wildcats to victory.

Villanova's guard-laden offense and perimeter shooting are often the focus, but Villanova's excellent defense and veteran composure were on full display down the stretch in this contest, as the team forced Creighton into tough spots and crucial errors in the game's waning moments.

For Villanova, it will head into the new year with its reign atop the college basketball rankings intact. And despite the talented rosters on teams like Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and UCLA, to name a few, the Wildcats remain one of the favorites to cut the nets for a second straight season given their slew of perimeter stars, their defensive intensity and their experience.

Creighton, meanwhile, shouldn't drop too many slots after playing Villanova tough. The Bluejays are a dangerous team, even if they aren't quite on Villanova's level just yet.

The two teams will meet again in Big East play on Feb. 25.

Postgame Reaction

After the game, Wright was pleased with his team's performance:

"Just a great college basketball game," Wright said in his press conference. "I think I say this every time I come here: They're a fun team to watch, to scout, to prepare for. They play so intelligently, so tough, they're so well-coached. When you play them you know you have to be tough, you have to be smart."

He added: "So when your team wins—especially here, you know this is gonna be one of the toughest environments—you feel great about so many things about your team."

His full presser can be watched below:

Creighton head coach Greg McDermott was quick to praise the fans, meanwhile, per Jon Nyatawa of the Omaha World-Herald:

"Certainly disappointed that we lost," McDermott said in his postgame press conference. "But a great learning experience for us. Villanova is terrific. We knew it was gonna take a great effort to win."

You can see his full remarks below:

After watching the teams battle back and forth for 40 minutes, it isn't hard to see why both coaches showed nothing but respect for the opposing side. It's also why college basketball fans across the country should be salivating for the rematch between the Big East's top two teams in late February.

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