Two teams trending in opposite directions square off Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia as scuffling Villanova hosts Seton Hall in Big East action.
The Wildcats (12-11, 5-7 Big East) enter this one having lost six of their past seven games, most recently a 56-53 defeat against Xavier on Wednesday.
Brendan Hausen led the Wildcats with 15 points. Eric Dixon chipped in 13 and Hakim Hart notched seven points, five boards and two steals off the bench.
However, Villanova was unable to overcome 33.9 percent shooting and a 6-of-21 performance from the 3-point line.
The Wildcats actually had a chance to tie it on their final possession, but they never got a shot off.
"I thought we came out, played extremely hard," Wildcats coach Kyle Neptune said. "Xavier's a tough team, they came out and just outlasted us. I thought we defended at a high level, but unfortunately, I thought they got some key baskets, some key rebounds at times and edged it out."
Meanwhile, Seton Hall (15-8, 8-4) is seeking its third straight win after disposing of DePaul and Georgetown over the past two weeks.
In the 76-70 triumph over the Hoyas, Dre Davis recorded 25 points and 10 rebounds and Kadary Richmond contributed 20 points with eight assists and seven boards.
Davis is averaging 14.2 points and has scored in double figures in 13 straight games.
"It's a credit to the work he's putting in every day," Seton Hall coach Shaheen Holloway said. "He's one of those guys that's an everyday guy. He's been an everyday guy since he's been here. Last year, he had some knee stuff, but this year, he's been taking care of his body. He's been our workhorse and everything he's doing, we need it a lot."
Davis and company will be looking to shut down Dixon, who leads Villanova at 15.7 points and is second on the squad with 6.3 rebounds per outing.
Villanova posted four-point victories in both matchups with the Pirates last season.
This is the first meeting this season between these teams, who will reconvene at Seton Hall on March 6.
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