When it came down to the nitty gritty of why No. 5 Xavier defeated No. 1 Villanova in a 90-83 thriller Wednesday at Cintas Center, players and coaches from both teams said the Musketeers’ attention to detail was the difference.
Xavier made extra passes for optimal shots, as evidenced by its season-high-tying 24 assists on 30 field goals. It frequently made its way to the free-throw line. It supplemented its 44 points in the paint with seven 3-pointers and it won the rebounding battle 42-33.
In short, the Musketeers did most everything right.
“I think this is one of the best games they played this year.