Xavier’s Ryan Conwell Scores 34, Leads Late Surge to Defeat Villanova

CINCINNATI, Ohio — For the second consecutive game, Villanova let a late lead slip away as Xavier’s Ryan Conwell scored 34 points, including 13 of the Musketeers’ final 14, to secure a 69-63 victory at the Cintas Center on Tuesday night.

Conwell’s performance was pivotal, especially in the closing minutes. With Villanova leading 58-55, Conwell hit a game-tying three-pointer and was fouled, converting the free throw to give Xavier a 59-58 lead. The four-point play sparked a 14-5 run that sealed the win for the Musketeers.

“He just really got it going,” Villanova coach Kyle Neptune said of Conwell. “He made some tough ones, but we just didn’t stay connected to him.”

Villanova’s Enoch Boakye had a dunk to give the Wildcats a 58-55 lead with 1:51 remaining. However, Conwell’s four-point play shifted the momentum. Villanova then turned the ball over on a traveling call, and Conwell hit another three-pointer to extend Xavier’s lead to 62-58 with 54 seconds left.

The Wildcats struggled offensively down the stretch, managing only one made shot in the final 1:50, a three-pointer by Jhamir Brickus with 11 seconds left when the game was already out of reach.

“You’re on the road going against a good team,” Neptune said. “Things aren’t going to go your way all the time. It’s got to be a full 40 minutes. Our turnovers were a factor. I think they did a good job getting into our guys and forced us into some areas we didn’t want to be in. They were very physical and forced some key turnovers.”

Villanova had a 32-24 halftime lead after overcoming a slow start. The Musketeers initially led 13-4, but the Wildcats responded with a 9-0 run to tie the game. The first half remained competitive until Villanova went on an 11-1 run to take a 10-point lead. Conwell’s buzzer-beating layup cut the deficit to eight at halftime.

Conwell dominated the second half, scoring 28 of his 34 points. He shot 8-of-13 overall, 6-for-10 from three-point range, and 12-of-14 from the free-throw line. Dayvion McKnight and Zach Freemantle each contributed 10 points for Xavier.

For Villanova, Jordan Longino and Eric Dixon each scored 18 points, while Wooga Poplar added 14 before fouling out. The Wildcats fell to 11-7 overall and 4-3 in Big East play. They return home for a two-game homestand, starting with a Friday night matchup against Providence at the Wells Fargo Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.