The Villanova Wildcats never led in the first half, trailing by as much as 11 points at one time. A run near the end of the first half saw them pull within 5 points at halftime, bringing the score to 41-36. Villanova continued to chip away at a hard-charging Irish team after the break, taking the lead for good with 6:11 left to play, on a Josh Hart free throw.
The score stayed close most of the way, but the Wildcats held on at Newark’s Prudential Center for the 74-66 victory; handing Notre Dame their first loss of the season.