Dixon, Poplar Shine as Villanova Tops Xavier 80-68

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania — Eric Dixon and Wooga Poplar led a strong second half to propel the Villanova Wildcats to an 80-68 victory against the Xavier Musketeers on Sunday afternoon at the Wells Fargo Center.

After a lackluster first half, Dixon scored 22 of his 24 points in the second half, igniting a crucial Wildcats run. He showcased his scoring ability with a remarkable stretch of 15 consecutive points, helping Villanova pull away from Xavier. Despite only taking four shots in the first half, Dixon turned the game around by shooting 7-of-12 after the break.

“He only had four shots in the first half — but that’s partially because we were calling other guys’ numbers based on them having it going,” Villanova coach Kyle Neptune said. “But you know Eric Dixon at some point is going to get going, and he kept it.”

Poplar contributed significantly, finishing with 23 points, including five 3-pointers along with eight rebounds and four steals. He kept Villanova in contention during the first half with 13 points while Dixon struggled to find his rhythm.

Tyler Perkins added a solid performance off the bench, scoring 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting, including four 3-pointers. “I just try to do whatever I can to help the team — whether that’s energy, talking, bringing the juice,” Perkins remarked.

The game was tightly contested for most of the first half. Xavier grabbed a 28-23 lead after an 8-0 run, capped off by a three-pointer from Dan Maddox Jr. However, back-to-back threes from Perkins and Poplar brought Villanova back, and Perkins scored a jumper at the buzzer to tie the game at 33 at halftime.

Villanova seized control in the second half, starting with a 14-2 run sparked by Poplar’s free throws. Both Dixon and Perkins each hit 3-pointers during this crucial stretch, with Dixon finishing the run with a layup to extend their lead to 78-62 with 2:31 left.

The Wildcats’ defense strengthened in the closing minutes, limiting Xavier to just three field goals in the final six minutes, a performance Neptune praised. “We made some tough shots, but I think we locked in defensively and got some timely stops,” he said. “Really good teams get it done defensively in those moments.”

Xavier’s Maddox led his team with 24 points off the bench, while Zach Freemantle and Marcus Foster added 18 and 10 points, respectively. Despite shooting 49.1% from the field, the Musketeers struggled with turnovers, committing 14 to Villanova’s eight.

With the win, Villanova improved to 14-10 overall, moving to sole possession of fifth place in the Big East Conference with a 7-6 record. The Wildcats now prepare for a challenging matchup against St. John’s, a team currently on a ten-game winning streak. Villanova lost to St. John’s 80-68 in their previous meeting on January 11.

The rematch is set for February 12 at 6 p.m. ET at Finneran Pavilion.