VILLANOVA, Pa. — Darrun Hilliard scored 14 points in a four-minute stretch early in the second half, and No. 6 Villanova pulled away from No. 25 Providence for an 89-61 rout at the Pavilion.
The Wildcats outscored Providence 56-36 in the second half.
The win was Villanova’s ninth straight and its 26th in a row on its home court since losing to Providence two years ago.
Hilliard shot just 1 for 7 in the first half, but from the 17:04 mark of the second half to the 13:00 point he made four straight threes and two foul shots.
Hilliard finished with 24 points, four steals and three rebounds in 22 minutes. He made his first five three-point attempts in the second half.
On Senior Night, Hilliard and JayVaughn Pinkston — Villanova’s two seniors — combined for 40 points and 12 rebounds.
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Villanova led by 16 late in the first half, but Providence scored 10 straight points over the end of the half and start of the second to close to six at 38-32.
The Wildcats then went on a 25-6 run, turning a six-point lead into a 25-point lead at 63-38 in just 5½ minutes.
What it means
Villanova improved to 26-2 overall and 13-2 in the Big East. Providence fell to 19-9 and 9-6.
Villanova is now 6-0 vs. teams that were nationally ranked when they played. They’ve won those six games by an average of 15.7 points.
In the Big East
Villanova has a three-game lead in the Big East with three games left.
There are some scenarios in which the Wildcats wouldn’t get the top seed in the conference tournament if they lose their last three games, but with a win in any of their final three games, they’ll clinch the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament, starting March 11 at Madison Square Garden.
Turning point
After Providence closed to within six, Hilliard made a couple foul shots and a top-of-the-key three to start the huge rally.
By the numbers
Villanova made 13 of 25 shots from three, 9 of 14 after halftime. ... Pinkston had 16 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in his final game on campus. ... Ryan Arcidiacono made 4 of 6 shots and 3 of 5 from three for 11 points with four assists and no turnovers. ... Soph Kris Jenkins added eight points on 8 for 9 from the foul line. ... Freshman Phil Booth had 10 points, two steals, three assists and two rebounds in 18 minutes. ... Junior forward Tyler Harris came off the bench to lead Providence with 16 points on 8 of 10 from the field.
What's next
Villanova finishes the Big East regular season with games at Xavier Saturday, at Creighton next Tuesday and at the Wells Fargo Center against St. John’s on March 7.