College Basketball

Justin Moore's clutch 3-pointer lifts Villanova past 24-point underdog DePaul in Big East

Published Mar. 14, 2024 12:10 a.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

Justin Moore made a 3-pointer with eight seconds left in the second half and sixth-seeded Villanova escaped a huge upset by beating 24-point underdog DePaul 58-57 on Wednesday night to advance to the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament.

Jalen Terry's pull-up jumper gave the Blue Demons (3-29) a 57-55 lead with 1:13 left, but DePaul could not pad its lead. Villanova was down two with 17 seconds left and came out of a timeout with a play to get Moore a good look from 3, and he swished the shot.

Villanova's Justin Moore drills a CLUTCH 3-pointer to seal the game against DePaul and advance in the Big East Tournament

DePaul rushed down the court with no timeouts left, but couldn't get off a shot, turning the ball over and ending its season with a 20-game losing streak.

The Wildcats (18-14) entered the Big East Tournament desperately in need of victories to pad their NCAA Tournament resume in their second season under coach Kyle Neptune.

Terry finished with 18 points to lead 11th-seeded DePaul.

The Blue Demons endured maybe the worst season in Big East history, becoming the first team to go 0-20 in the conference during the regular season. Coach Tony Stubblefield was fired in late January and replaced by assistant Matt Brady, who finished his stint without a win.

The Wildcats went up 52-50 on Eric Dixon's 3 with 4:43 left in the second half, but Elijah Fisher muscled his way inside for a layup to tie it with 3:25 remaining.

Dixon scored 21 points to lead the Wildcats.

Da’Sean Nelson put DePaul up 55-52 on a three-point play with 1:52 left, but Dixon responded with a straight-on 3 to tie it moments later.

DePaul Blue Demons vs. Villanova Wildcats 2024 Big East Tournament Highlights | CBB on FOX

Reporting by The Associated Press.

[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]

FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience

Big East

DePaul Blue Demons

Villanova Wildcats

share

Get more from College Basketball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

DePaul Blue Demons

Big East

Villanova Wildcats

College Basketball

Villanova Wildcats

DePaul Blue Demons

CBK - DePaul Blue Demons vs. Villanova Wildcats - 03/14/2024