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3w ago

Villanova Advances to College Basketball Crown Semifinals with Thrilling Win Over USC

Eric Dixon's dominant second-half performance and record-breaking scoring propel the Wildcats to a 60-59 victory, setting up a semifinal clash with UCF.

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USC head coach Eric Musselman, shown reacting to an official’s call during a Big Ten Tournament second-round loss to Purdue last month, saw his first season come to a close with their 60-59 loss to Villanova in the College Basketball Crown on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Overview

  • Villanova defeated USC 60-59 in the quarterfinals of the inaugural College Basketball Crown tournament in Las Vegas, overcoming a 12-point second-half deficit.
  • Eric Dixon scored 24 of his 28 points in the second half, including the decisive free throw with 18 seconds remaining, extending his record as Villanova's all-time leading scorer with 2,257 points.
  • The Wildcats, under interim coach Mike Nardi, secured their 21st win of the season and will face UCF in the semifinals on Saturday.
  • USC, playing without key scorers Wesley Yates III and Chibuzo Agbo, was led by Saint Thomas with 23 points and Rashaun Agee with 22 points in the narrow loss.
  • Villanova's Wooga Poplar and Jhamir Brickus contributed 16 and 10 points respectively, supporting Dixon's standout performance in the dramatic victory.