NEW YORK — It was over, or at least Villanova floundered in deep Big East tournament waters Thursday night, down 17 points to St. John’s, early in the second half, with Madison Square Garden in full frenzy. That “shoot ‘em up or sleep in the streets” mantra the Wildcats like to use, it had them heading toward the Lincoln Tunnel, night one.
Then a fast and furious comeback changed the whole scene, the frenzy switching allegiances. In the end, Villanova got a whistle, a foul call. Brandon Slater, who had gotten to a loose ball after a Jermaine Samuels miss, went to the line, 2.8 seconds left. Make. Timeout. Swish.
Villanova players looked for Slater, engulfed him, as Villanova advanced with a 66-65 Big East quarterfinal classic.
