Sub-.500 Villanova desperate for win over Rider

Field Level Media|published: Wed 27th November, 24:27 2024

NCAA Basketball: Pennsylvania at Villanova

Nov 19, 2024; Villanova, Pennsylvania, USA; Villanova Wildcats forward Eric Dixon (43) reacts against the Penn Quakers in the first half at William B. Finneran Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Villanova is below .500 and desperate for contributions from players besides Eric Dixon as it prepares for a Wednesday home game against Rider.

The Wildcats (3-4) faced Maryland on Sunday in Newark, N.J. Villanova led by 14 points late in the first half and by 12 at intermission, but the Terrapins stormed back to steal a 76-75 victory. Villanova allowed Maryland to go 17-for-29 (58.6 percent) from the field in the second half.

At the other end of the floor, Dixon poured in a career-high 38 points on 15-of-29 shooting overall, but the rest of his team went 14-for-33 (42.4 percent). After missing the season opener, Dixon is now the nation's second-leading scorer at 26.7 points per game; that's more than one-third of Villanova's 79.2 ppg over the past six games.

The Wildcats have also lost to Columbia, Saint Joseph's and Virginia this month as coach Kyle Neptune's seat grows hotter.

"Everybody has their adversity, every team -- even teams that are 6- and 7-0, everybody's going through something," Dixon told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "That's no different for us. This just happens to be our adversity. We're trying to keep coming back every single day and trying to figure it out."

Villanova is allowing opponents to shoot 43.9 percent from the floor and ranks No. 120 in KenPom defensive efficiency as of Tuesday.

Against Rider (4-2), the Wildcats will be facing a team with four true road wins at San Diego, Coppin State, Navy and Bucknell. In fact, the Broncs have yet to play at home this season.

On Saturday at Bucknell, Tariq Ingraham collected 14 points and nine rebounds and T.J. Weeks Jr. added 12 points and six boards despite getting a cut that needed five stitches during the game.

"It takes everything you have," Rider coach Kevin Baggett told the Trentonian. "The coaching, the players, everybody has got to be on one page, everybody has got to be together. There are a lot of highs and lows in a game. It takes togetherness, and that experience, we're learning now."

Rider's two losses came to power-conference foes UCLA, 85-50, and Iowa, 83-58.

Weeks leads the Broncs with averages of 13.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.

--Field Level Media