Justin Moore went 8-for-8 from the free throw line in the final 25.9 seconds and lifted Villanova to a 76-72 victory over host Seton Hall on Tuesday in Newark, N.J.
Moore scored 23 points and Cam Whitmore added 19 as the Wildcats (16-14, 10-9 Big East) won their third in a row. Eric Dixon had 18 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots.
Villanova finished 22 of 23 from the free throw line.
After Moore’s final two free throws with 5.8 seconds remaining gave the Wildcats a 75-72 lead, Seton Hall’s pass beyond halfcourt was stolen by Dixon.
Al-Amir Dawes led Seton Hall with 21 points and Femi Odukale added 14 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Tyrese Samuel also had 14 points for the Pirates (16-14, 9-10), who have lost three straight.
Seton Hall played without injured point guard Kadary Richmond, who’s still bothered by back spasms.
The Pirates’ last lead came with 1:55 to go, when Samuel hit a 3-pointer to go ahead 65-63.
Whitmore drove to the basket to give Villanova a 63-59 lead with 4:47 left.
Odukale hit a 15-foot jumper with 2:45 left and the Pirates trailed 63-62.
With 6:01 remaining in the first half, Villanova went ahead 23-17 when Whitmore dropped in a 3-pointer. Dre Davis scored four points to key a 6-0 run and the Pirates quickly tied the game at 23.
Seton Hall took a 37-34 lead at halftime thanks in large part to Dawes, who hit all three 3-pointers and scored 11 points.
Whitmore knocked down all three treys and paced Villanova with 11 points.
There were nine lead changes and only three total fouls whistled in the first half.
The game tightened defensively early in the second half as Villanova held a slim 44-42 advantage heading into the second media timeout with 11:55 remaining. The Pirates committed five turnovers in that stretch.
Seton Hall took a 49-46 lead when Samuel completed a three-point play with 10:31 left.
When Caleb Daniels hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key, the game was tied at 53 with 8:20 to go.
–Field Level Media