#14 Villanova Squeaks By Men's Basketball, 60-57

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NEWARK, N.J. - Senior Jeremy Hazell (Harlem, N.Y.) scored a game-high 25 points and just missed a game-tying three-pointer as time expired, giving #15 Villanova a 60-57 win over the Seton Hall men's basketball team on Tuesday night.

Hazell hit four shots from downtown, leaving him just two shy of breaking the BIG EAST all-time record. Junior Jordan Theodore (Englewood, N.J.) was the only other Pirate (11-15, 5-9) in double figures with 10 points.

Trailing 57-48 with 5:34 remaining, SHU scored seven straight to pull within two with 2:14 to go. The Wildcats (20-6, 8-5) answered with a clock-killing possession that ended with Antonio Pena finding James Bell on the baseline for a layup.

Junior Herb Pope (Aliquippa, Pa.) knocked down a pair of free-throws to pull the Pirates back within two, and Eniel Polynice (Sarasota, Fla.) knocked the ball off of Corey Fisher's knee to give the Hall the ball with 39 seconds left.

Hazell missed a runner in the lane with 13 seconds to go, but Pena hit only 1-of-2 from the charity stripe, giving the Pirates one last chance to even the score. Patrik Auda (Brno, Czech Republic) pulled down the rebound after the miss on the second attempt and Theodore passed over to Hazell, who drove to his right and fired from 40-feet out. The ball rimmed out and Dominic Cheek corralled the rebound as time ran out.

Seton Hall jumped out to a 9-4 lead in the early stages off a nice move by Theodore with 16:07 left in the first half. Villanova later took the lead, 17-14, after Fisher hit three free throws and Bell followed with a triple with 10:54 before the break.

Maalik Wayns gave the Wildcats their largest lead of the half, 28-22, with a shot from downtown with 3:09 to go, but the Pirates scored the final six points of the frame to even things heading into the half.

Bell scored a career-high 21 points on 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc. Fisher scored 12 points and was 4-of-4 from the floor and 3-of-3 from the line.

The Pirates forced 22 turnovers and committed just seven for the game. The Wildcats held a 37-25 edge on the glass.

Seton Hall is back in action on Saturday, February 19, at Marquette. Tip-off is set for 9:00 p.m.