Gillespie scores 28 to lift No. 19 Villanova over DePaul

CHICAGO (AP) — Collin Gillespie scored a season-high 28 points, and No. 19 Villanova beat DePaul 79-64 on Saturday.

Gillespie shot 5 of 9 from the field and sank all five of his free throws in the second half as the Wildcats (11-4, 4-1 Big East) earned their fourth straight win. Gillespie also added a team-high four assists and four rebounds.

Justin Moore scored 21 points and had seven rebounds, while Eric Dixon and Caleb Daniels chipped in with 11 and nine points, respectively, for the Wildcats.

Timely dunks from Daniels and Dixon and going 20 of 22 at the free throw line helped Villanova protect its lead.

The Blue Demons (9-5, 0-4 Big East) got a career-high 34 points from guard Javon Freeman-Liberty, who was explosive in the first half with 22 points. He also had six rebounds and three steals.

A 3-pointer from Daniels and a basket inside by Gillespie gave the Wildcats a 28-24 lead in the first half. The Blue Demons closed with a 13-4 run to take a 37-32 lead into the break, then missed 11 of their first 12 shots in the second half to squander the lead.

The Blue Demons have lost 21 straight games to the Wildcats, dating back to 2008.

BIG PICTURE

Villanova: The Wildcats have won four games in a row after dropping back-to-back games at Baylor and Creighton in December. The victory helps them keep up with Providence atop the Big East. The Wildcats’ experienced lineup should have the mettle to contend for the conference title.

DePaul: After a 9-1 start and nonconference wins over Rutgers and Louisville, the Blue Demons have dropped four straight games since beginning Big East play. The schedule doesn’t get any easier, with looming home matchups against No. 24 Seton Hall on Thursday and No. 22 Xavier on Jan. 19.

UP NEXT

Villanova travels to No. 22 Xavier on Wednesday.

DePaul is at Marquette on Tuesday.

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