Dream season ends for FAU in 72-71 Final Four loss to Aztecs
April 2, 2023 GMTHOUSTON (AP) — It was one of those Final Four buzzer-beaters no one will ever forget.
Buffalo hires Villanova assistant Halcovage as coach
March 30, 2023 GMTAMHERST, N.Y. (AP) — Longtime Villanova assistant George Halcovage is taking over the Buffalo men’s basketball program, the school announced Thursday.
Halcovage broke into coaching as a graduate assistant on Jay Wright’s staff at Villanova in 2008 before working his way up to associate head coach in Wright’s final season in 2021-22, when the Wildcats reached the Final Four.
With Marquette on top, Big East brings different look to MSG
March 7, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — This Big East Tournament has a distinctly different look.
No. 6 Marquette is the top seed heading into the four-day frenzy at Madison Square Garden for the first time since the Golden Eagles joined the conference in 2005.
No. 7 UConn defeats No. 10 Villanova, earns Big East title
March 7, 2023 GMTUNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Aaliyah Edwards had 19 points and 15 rebounds to lead No. 7 UConn to its 10th consecutive conference tournament title with a 67-56 victory over 10th-ranked Villanova in the Big East Tournament title game Monday night.
No. 1 South Carolina tops Tennessee for SEC title
March 6, 2023 GMTGREEENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Zia Cooke scored 24 points and Aliyah Boston added 18 as No. 1 South Carolina pulled away in the final two quarters to beat Tennessee 74-58 for the SEC championship on Sunday.
No. 14 UConn readies for Big East Tourney with win over Nova
March 5, 2023 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — UConn fans had some fun at the expense of Villanova as chants of “NIT! NIT!” rained down at the perennial championship contender that scuffled this season and now needs a 4-for-4 run in New York to have a shot at March Madness.
Louisville knocks No. 10 Notre Dame out of ACC Tournament
March 5, 2023 GMTGREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Hailey Van Lith had 15 points, and unranked Louisville used a stifling defensive performance to knock off No. 10 Notre Dame 64-38 on Saturday to advance to the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship game.
No. 11 Villanova women escape DePaul upset bid
March 5, 2023 GMTUNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Maddy Siegrist posted a double-double and Lucy OIsen scored 19 and her go-ahead free throw with .7 seconds left sent 11th-ranked Villanova past DePaul 71-70 on Saturday in a Big East quarterfinal matchup.
Moore and Villanova take down Seton Hall 76-72
March 1, 2023 GMTNEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Justin Moore led Villanova with 23 points and Eric Dixon secured the victory with a free throw with 43 seconds left as the Wildcats defeated Seton Hall 76-72 on Tuesday night.
Moore was 6-of-10 shooting, including 2 for 5 from distance, and went 9 for 9 from the foul line for the Wildcats (16-14, 10-9 Big East Conference).
No. 9 UConn tops Xavier, takes Big East regular-season title
February 28, 2023 GMTSTORRS, Conn. (AP) — Aaliyah Edwards scored 19 points and No. 9 UConn secured the Big East regular-season title with a 60-51 win over Xavier on Monday night.
Caroline Ducharme added 14 points and Lou Lopez Senechal scored 12 for the Huskies (26-5, 18-2 Big East), who have won a regular-season league title 29 times, including in each of the past 10 seasons, the last three back in the Big East.
St. John’s beats UConn for first time in 11 years
February 22, 2023 GMTHARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Danielle Patterson and Kadaja Bailey each scored 20 points and St. John’s beat No. 4 UConn 69-64 in Hartford on Tuesday night.
Jayla Everett added 17 points for St. John’s (20-7, 11-7 Big East), which added a huge win to its NCAA Tournament resume, beating UConn for the first time in 11 years.
Sénéchal leads No. 6 UConn past Siegrist, No. 14 Villanova
February 18, 2023 GMTVILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) — Lou Lopez Sénéchal scored 22 points, including a crucial rainbow jumper late in the fourth quarter, to lead No. 6 UConn to a 60-51 victory over Maddy Siegrist and No. 14 Villanova on Saturday.
Ducharme leads No. 6 UConn women’s late rally past Creighton
February 16, 2023 GMTSTORRS, Conn. (AP) — Caroline Ducharme scored all 10 of her points in the fourth quarter, including the winning free throws with 4.8 seconds left, and No. 6 UConn rallied to beat Creighton 62-60 on Wednesday night.
Siegrist has career-best 50 as Villanova routs Seton Hall
February 12, 2023 GMTVILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) — Maddy Siegrist scored a career-high 50 points to become the Big East Conference’s career regular-season scoring leader and No. 15 Villanova defeated Seton Hall 99-65 on Saturday.
Siegrist scores 50, sends No. 15 Villanova past Seton Hall
February 12, 2023 GMTVILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) — Maddy Siegrist scored a career-high 50 points to become the Big East Conference's career regular-season scoring leader and No.
UConn loses second straight game for first time in 30 years
February 9, 2023 GMTMILWAUKEE (AP) — UConn lost back-to-back games for the first time in three decades after the fourth-ranked Huskies were beaten 59-52 by Marquette on Wednesday night.
The Huskies, who were playing three nights after an 81-77 home loss to No.
Creighton tops Villanova 66-61 for sixth straight victory
February 5, 2023 GMTOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Trey Alexander scored 27 points and Creighton picked up its sixth straight win with a 66-61 victory over Villanova on Saturday.
Alexander shot 8 for 15 from the floor (5 for 9 from 3-point range) and 6 of 7 from the free-throw line for the Bluejays (15-8, 9-3 Big East Conference).
Asberry’s late flurry helps Baylor past No. 12 Iowa State
February 5, 2023 GMTAMES, Iowa (AP) — Sarah Andrews scored 21 points, Ja’Mee Asberry led a key fourth-quarter surge and Baylor defeated No. 12 Iowa State 76-70 on Saturday night.
Andrews hit a 3-pointer and a three-point play to give Baylor a 62-57 lead with 6:05 left in the fourth.
Castleton leads Florida’s rally past No. 2 Tennessee
February 2, 2023 GMTGAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Colin Castleton had 20 points and nine rebounds, Kyle Lofton added 14 points and Florida used a 13-0 run late in the second half to upend No. 2 Tennessee 67-54 on Wednesday night.
No. 5 UConn holds off Providence 64-54
February 2, 2023 GMTPROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Dorka Juhasz had 19 points and 17 rebounds and Nika Muhl added 14 points as No. 5 UConn held off Providence 64-54 on Wednesday night.
Lou Lopez Senechal and Aubrey Griffin each finished with 13 points as the Huskies registered their 14th straight win.
Brink, Jones lead No. 4 Stanford women past No. 8 Utah 74-62
January 21, 2023 GMTSTANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Cameron Brink had 25 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots, Haley Jones added 25 points, 12 boards and a pair of blocks, and No. 4 Stanford bounced back from a loss at USC by beating eighth-ranked Utah 74-62 on Friday night.
Daniels scores 16, Villanova downs St. John’s 57-49
January 21, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Caleb Daniels scored 16 points as Villanova beat St. John's 57-49 on Friday night.
Daniels shot 5 for 10 (4 for 7 from 3-point range) and 2 of 3 from the free throw line for the Wildcats (10-10, 4-5 Big East Conference).
Villanova extends Georgetown’s Big East losing streak to 28
January 16, 2023 GMTVILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) — Caleb Daniels scored 16 points, Brandon Slater added 15 and Villanova beat Georgetown 77-73 on Monday to extend the Hoyas' regular-season conference losing streak to 28 games.
Ryan leads No. 15 Iowa State over Kansas State 67-56
January 12, 2023 GMTAMES, Iowa (AP) — Emily Ryan had 14 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists to lead No. 15 Iowa State to a 67-56 victory over Kansas State on Wednesday night.
Ashley Joens finished with 14 points and nine rebounds, Denae Fritz had 14 points and seven boards and Lexi Donarski made four 3-pointers for Iowa State (11-3, 3-1 Big 12).
DePaul ends 22-game losing streak to Villanova, wins 75-65
January 11, 2023 GMTCHICAGO (AP) — Da'Sean Nelson scored 24 points and DePaul ended a 22-game losing streak to Villanova with a 75-65 win Tuesday night.
It was Blue Demons' first win over the Wildcats since Jan. 3, 2008
Georgetown AD acknowledges ‘frustrating time’ under Ewing
January 5, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Georgetown coach Patrick Ewing's loss-filled stint at his alma mater was called a “challenging and frustrating time" by athletic director Lee Reed, who added Wednesday that “no one is more committed” to turning things around than the former star center.
Villanova wins, Hoyas set Big East losing-streak record
January 5, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Caleb Daniels made six 3-pointers and scored 20 points, Brandon Slater added 14 points and Villanova beat Georgetown 73-57 on Wednesday night to extend the Hoyas' regular-season conference losing streak to 25 games.
Whitmore shines for Villanova in win over Boston College
December 11, 2022 GMTNEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Highly touted freshman Cam Whitmore scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds off the bench, leading Villanova to a 77-56 victory over Boston College in the Never Forget Tribute Classic.
Jay Wright at ease leaving Nova after ‘fighting it’ as coach
December 6, 2022 GMTVILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) — Jay Wright settled in a booth at the restaurant across the street from the basketball gym he called home for two decades and the cheerful waitress quizzed him at lunch if he had dined here before.
Whitmore sparks Villanova past Oklahoma in fantastic debut
December 3, 2022 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Cam Whitmore only touched a basketball a few times over seven weeks because of a broken thumb that delayed the start of his career that already seemed set as a brief one at Villanova.
Oregon salvages a win at Phil Knight, beats Villanova 74-67
November 27, 2022 GMTPORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Quincy Guerrier made six 3-pointers and Willie Richardson scored five of his 19 points in the final 1:39 and Oregon beat Villanova 74-67 in the consolation round game of the Phil Knight Invitational on Sunday.
Portland beats Villanova 83-71 in Phil Knight Invitational
November 25, 2022 GMTPORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Moses Wood scored 16 points and Portland beat Villanova 83-71 on Friday in the Phil Knight Invitational.
Villanova (2-4) has lost three straight games, including an overtime loss to Iowa State on Thursday to drop below .500 for the first time since March 7, 2012.
Freshman Lipsey clutch as Iowa States tops Villanova in OT
November 24, 2022 GMTPORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Freshman Tamin Lipsey made four free throws, his only points of the game, in the last 20 seconds of overtime, when he also had a key steal, and Iowa State defeated Villanova 81-79 in the Phil Knight Invitational on Thursday.
Villanova’s 1st-year coach Kyle Neptune learning on the job
November 19, 2022 GMTEAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Kyle Neptune looks young enough to suit up for a basketball team instead of wearing a blue suit with a V-neck shirt as Villanova's first-year coach.
Michigan State survives Villanova comeback bid, 73-71
November 19, 2022 GMTEAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Tyson Walker scored 22 points and Michigan State held off a late Villanova rally to pull out a 73-71 victory on Friday Night.
Walker's jumper with 1:58 left gave the Spartans a 70-63 lead, but Eric Dixon answered with a 3 to cut the Villanova deficit to 70-66, and after trading layups, Caleb Daniels stole the ball from Michigan State's Joey Hauser with 53 seconds left and Jordan Longino drained the 3-pointer to get the Wildcats within one, 72-71.
Dixon scores 17 in Villanova’s win over Delaware State
November 15, 2022 GMTVILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) — Eric Dixon's 17 points helped Villanova defeat Delaware State 60-50 on Monday night.
Dixon added seven rebounds for the Wildcats (2-1). Brandon Slater scored 15 points and added five rebounds.
Dunn hits late FTs, Temple beats No. 16 Villanova 68-64
November 12, 2022 GMTDamian Dunn drew a foul on a driving layup with 1.1 seconds left and made both free throws as Temple beat No. 16 Villanova 68-64 on Friday night, sending the Owls’ fans into two court-storming frenzies.
Dunn’s late free throws help Temple stun No. 16 Villanova
November 12, 2022 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Khalif Battle got lost in a swarm of delirious Temple students that had mobbed the court in celebration of one of the program's wildest wins in years.
Roach leads No. 7 Duke past Jacksonville in Scheyer’s debut
November 8, 2022 GMTDURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Jeremy Roach scored 16 first-half points to help seventh-ranked Duke open Jon Scheyer’s coaching tenure with a 71-44 win over Jacksonville on Monday night.
Freshman Mark Mitchell had a team-high 18 points for the Blue Devils, who used a 25-4 run spanning halftime to blow the game open.
Villanova wins in 1st game without Wright; Neptune in charge
November 8, 2022 GMTVILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) — Kyle Neptune did not get a chance to catch up with his Hall of Fame predecessor on the day he made his Villanova coaching debut. Neptune had a game to try and win and pleasantries with anyone — even a two-time national champion such as Jay Wright — would have to wait.
Jay Wright will be studio analyst during NCAA Tournament
October 27, 2022 GMTJay Wright will be in the midst of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. The biggest difference now is the former Villanova coach gets to enjoy it a lot more.
CBS Sports and Warner Brothers Discovery Sports announced on Thursday that Wright will be a studio analyst during March Madness on CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV.
Villanova moves on from Wright with former assistant Neptune
October 21, 2022 GMTVILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) — Jay Wright famously mouthed “bang” after Kris Jenkins won the 2016 national championship on a buzzer beater.
Creighton picked to win Big East for 1st time; Xavier 2nd
October 18, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — For the first time since joining the Big East in 2013, Creighton is the preseason choice to win the conference.
The ninth-ranked Bluejays received eight first-place votes from the league's coaches Tuesday.
Villanova freshman Cam Whitmore set to have surgery on thumb
October 8, 2022 GMTVILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) — Villanova freshman forward Cam Whitmore is set to have surgery on his right thumb after injuring it in practice Wednesday.
The school said Friday that Whitmore will be re-evaluated in early November.
Villanova-Michigan St highlight Gavitt Games in BEast-BTen
July 1, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Coming off a Final Four appearance, Villanova and new coach Kyle Neptune will face Tom Izzo's Michigan State in one of the major attractions of the seventh Gavitt Tipoff Games.
The Big East and Big Ten Conferences announced the eight men’s basketball contests on Friday.
Neptune ready to keep Villanova elite as Wright’s successor
April 28, 2022 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jay Wright patted his chest in appreciation of the cheering crowd before he threw a first pitch to Phillies manager Joe Girardi.
Wright cites lost ‘edge’ in surprise Villanova retirement
April 22, 2022 GMTVILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) — Jay Wright attended mass — as one does working at the only Augustinian Catholic university in the nation — and often found himself on his smartphone more than he was listening to the sermon.
Wright resigns as Villanova coach, Neptune takes over
April 21, 2022 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jay Wright shocked college basketball Wednesday night with his immediate resignation at Villanova, the Big East program he led to two national championships and four Final Fours in a Hall of Fame career.
Villanova’s injured Moore gets warm welcome at Final Four
April 3, 2022 GMTNEW ORLEANS (AP) — An enduring image of the NCAA Final Four will be Villanova coach Jay Wright sitting on the bench with his arm around injured starting guard Justin Moore shortly before tip-off of the Wildcats' semifinal matchup against Kansas.
Villanova doomed by Kansas 3-pointers in Final Four loss
April 3, 2022 GMTNEW ORLEANS (AP) — Villanova needed Justin Moore on offense, to add another scoring threat and spread the floor against Kansas' swarming interior defense. The Wildcats could have used him on defense, to rotate out on the Jayhawks' shooters and help dig down into the post.
Kansas cruises to 81-65 win over Villanova in Final Four
April 3, 2022 GMTNEW ORLEANS (AP) — Ochai Agbaji followed a celebrating stream of Kansas players off the floor at the Final Four, their shouts of “One more!” echoing all the way up the tunnel of the Superdome and right to the door of their locker room.
Final Four sparks debate: What merits blueblood status?
April 2, 2022 GMTNEW ORLEANS (AP) — North Carolina has won six national championships and reached more Final Fours than any program in college basketball. Duke has claimed five titles under retiring coach Mike Krzyzewski and Kansas just surpassed Kentucky for the most wins in the history of the game on its way to the Final Four.
March Madness: What to watch for in a stacked Final Four
April 1, 2022 GMTMarch Madness has taken a power turn as it turns to the Final Four. No more plucky underdogs, much as we enjoyed the run by Saint Peter's. No more double-digit seeds looking for upsets.
This year's Final Four is Duke and Carolina, Kansas and Villanova, four powerhouses looking to add another national championship to their formidable resumes.
Villanova-Kansas renew high-stakes history at Final Four
April 1, 2022 GMTNEW ORLEANS (AP) — Bill Self was wading through old video of Villanova this week, trying to scout a specific action that the Wildcats use on the offensive end of the floor, when the Hall of Fame Kansas coach did something he's avoided the past four years.
A look at each Final Four team, through advanced stats
April 1, 2022 GMTThis year's Final Four includes quite a collection of big-name programs — but this hasn't been a particularly dominant group this season.
In fact, the top three teams — and five of the top six — in the current Pomeroy rankings are absent.
Villanova’s Gillespie latest guard in low post for Wildcats
March 31, 2022 GMTNEW ORLEANS (AP) — The post origination story, as Villanova coach Jay Wright recalls, began with Ryan Arcidiacono.
The 6-foot-3 point guard had a knack for posting up defenders, even bigger ones, so Wright started calling plays for him in the paint.
Final Four gets experience boost from transfer portal, COVID
March 31, 2022 GMTNEW ORLEANS (AP) — A bunch of one-and-done phenoms brought together by Kentucky coach John Calipari stepped onto the floor into the spotlight of the cavernous Superdome 10 years ago, oozing with the kind of NBA potential that made it clear their college basketball careers were about to end at the Final Four.
AP-Sportlight-Week Ahead
March 31, 2022 GMTApril 1
1938 — Joe Louis knocks out Harry Thomas in the fifth round in Chicago to retain his world heavyweight title.
1940 — Governor Herbert Lehman of New York signs the Dunnigal bill, which legalizes pari-mutuel wagering and outlaws bookmakers at the state’s racetracks.
March Madness paying off for players under mishmash of rules
March 30, 2022 GMTNEW ORLEANS (AP) — At long last, some of the cold, hard cash in the billion-dollar world of college sports is hitting the wallets of the players themselves by legitimate means. One expert estimates by the time next year's Final Four rolls around, every men's basketball and football player on a major Division I roster could be making $100,000 or more.