Despite some nagging injuries and ailments, second-seeded Villanova advanced to the semifinals of the Big East tournament with a gritty 66-65 win over seventh-seeded St. John’s on Thursday in New York.
The Wildcats (24-7), ranked eighth in the nation, will now face third-seeded Connecticut (23-8) on Friday. The Huskies sit 20th in the Top 25.
Caleb Daniels moved into the starting lineup and led the way with 19 points because Jermaine Samuels was struggling with back spasms. Samuels, who was riding the stationary bike to stay loose, came through with seven points and eight rebounds. Eric Dixon also had four points and nine rebounds in 15 minutes despite feeling ill right before tip-off.
Justin Moore added 15 points and Collin Gillespie had 14 as the Wildcats rallied from a 17-point deficit.
“We work on free throws every day in practice,” said Brandon Slater, who dropped in the two game-winning free throws with 2.8 seconds remaining. “When I stepped to the line, my teammates and coaches…
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