Creighton vs. Villanova: Score and Reaction from 2017 Regular Season

Coming off a home loss at the hands of the Butler Bulldogs, the No. 2 Villanova Wildcats (27-3, 14-3) needed a return to form Saturday with the regular season winding to a close.  

Matched up against the 23rd-ranked Creighton Bluejays (22-7, 9-7), the Wildcats achieved just that as they overcame 21.1 percent shooting from three to secure a 79-63 win and the outright Big East regular-season title at the Pavilion.  

Since none of the defending champs' perimeter scorers were locked in from distance, their talented backcourt had to shift its strategy and attack the paint throughout the second half. 

That proved effective and resulted in a balanced scoring line for Villanova's biggest contributors. 

On senior day, Kris Jenkins overcame a shaky shooting start to finish with 15 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals as he adjusted on the fly, per CSNPhilly.com's Reuben Frank: 

Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart added nine and 16 points, respectively, while Donte DiVincenzo poured in nine points off the bench. Mikal Bridges also showed up in a big way with 11 points, eight boards and four steals. 

Marcus Foster paced Creighton with 25 points (8-of-18 shooting, 6-of-9 from three), eight assists and five rebounds, and Khyri Thomas (17 points) joined him in double figures. 

However, Creighton was too reliant on threes to keep pace with Villanova's balanced production. All told, the Bluejays shot 11-of-27 from distance and 13-of-28 inside the arc. 

Creighton outscored the Wildcats 21-6 from three during a first half that was defined by a pair of stellar scoring spurts, as Frank noted, but 'Nova rebounded once the second half rolled around. 

The defending champions came out determined to attack the rim, and they succeeded by following the lead of Eric Paschall (19 points, six rebounds)—who was effective as a roll man second-chance opportunist below the free-throw line, as Fox Sports documented on Twitter: 

The Wildcats were also able to maintain a slim edge thanks to superior hustle, as college hoops analyst Doug Gottlieb noted: 

"

#Nova just outplaying #Creighton on the boards when the ball is on the ground

— Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) February 25, 2017"

With Creighton's offense in the midst of a regression just as Villanova hit its stride, the Wildcats pounced on a double-digit lead with under six minutes remaining and never let up. 

Now back in the win column following Wednesday's loss to Butler, the Wildcats will have a week off before they close out their regular-season slate with a road tilt against the Georgetown Hoyas in the nation's capital. 

The Bluejays, however, will have to regroup in a big way after picking up their second loss in a row and fourth in their last six games overall. 

To officially bounce back, Creighton will have to come up with a well-rounded effort against the St. John's Red Storm on Feb. 28.   

Postgame Reaction

With another Big East title in tow, Villanova's official Twitter account posted an image of the team posing with familiar hardware on the floor at the Pavilion: 

"We're not done yet," Jenkins said, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "There's still a lot we want to get accomplished."

According to KYW's Ed Benkin, Wildcats head coach Jay Wright praised his team's ability to hang tough with Darryl Reynolds (rib) out once again: 

"Since Darryl got hurt, we're not playing well, but we're playing tough," he said, per the AP. "It speaks to their leadership and speaks to their character."

On the Bluejays' side, head coach Greg McDermott pointed to the free-throw disparity as a major factor in his team's loss, per the Omaha World-Herald's Jon Nyatawa: 

"Villanova has a terrific basketball team," McDermott said, according to the AP. "Our inability to play without fouling, you're asking for trouble. And that's exactly what happened."