The #9 Providence Friars entered Tuesday night's contest against the #11 Villanova Wildcats having captured their first ever Big East regular season title on Saturday night. That did not stop them from showing up on the road at Villanova. However, the Wildcats still proved that they can play with anyone in the country, outlasting the Friars 76-74. After the game, Jay Wright addressed the fact that Villanova seems to find themselves in tight games all the time.

“How many more of these do we need,” said Wright as he couldn't help but laugh.

With the win, Villanova improved to 22-7 overall and 15-4 in the Big East. Meanwhile, Providence finished their regular season 14-3 in the Big East and 24-4 overall. The Friars had three games canceled in mid-January due to COVID-19 protocols against Creighton, Seton Hall and UConn. Two of those teams are ranked.

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Seeing as Villanova swept the season series against Providence, Ed Cooley's Friars might have caught a break.

Caleb Daniels scored 20 points off the bench for Villanova, leading both teams in scoring. Eric Dixon and Collin Gillespie scored 15 and 14 points respectively in the win. Providence was led by Jared Bynum's 19 points as he helped the team erase a double digit deficit, but ultimately fell just short.

The Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden is set for this weekend. The competitiveness of the conference this season leads many to expect an early sneak peak at March Madness.

Even though Villanova did not win the regular season title, they might very well still earn a top-2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats have seven top-25 wins this season, and can improve upon that in the Big East Tournament.