Villanova 88, No. 23 Iowa 83 (OT): James Bell scored 20 points and was named the Battle 4 Atlantis’ most valuable player as the Wildcats rallied from double-digit deficits in both halves to win a wild championship game in the Bahamas.
Villanova (7-0) opened the extra period with back-to-back 3-pointers from Kris Jenkins and Dylan Ennis to answer a three-point play by Aaron White. Roy Devyn Marble brought Iowa (7-1) back within 82-81 with 2:23 left, but Jenkins, Bell and Ryan Arcidiacono combined for six free throws down the stretch as the Wildcats defeated a ranked foe for the second straight night after upsetting No. 2 Kansas on Friday.
Josh Hart and JayVaughn Pinkston scored 14 points apiece and Arcidiacono had 13 – including two key 3-pointers late in regulation – for the Wildcats. Marble scored 21 of his 24 points after intermission to pace Iowa (7-1).
Villanova committed 12 first-half turnovers – including 11 over the first 12½ minutes – and allowed Iowa to build a 15-point advantage on two occasions in the first 20 minutes. Nine players scored in the first half for the Hawkeyes, who saw their lead cut to 42-33 at the break when the Wildcats reeled off six straight over the final 2:52.
Marble scored the Hawkeyes’ first 10 points coming out of the break as Iowa restored its 15-point bulge, but Villanova drained five 3-pointers during a 29-7 surge that gave Villanova a 64-57 lead with 4:32 left. Iowa responded with 11 unanswered points and both teams traded big plays down the stretch as Marble scored four points late to send it into overtime after two long-3-pointers from Arcidiacono.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Villanova hit 14 3-pointers Saturday and 34 over the three-day event. … Hawkeyes F Aaron White took an inadvertent knee from Hart to his right eye and was poked in the left eye by Ennis later in the first half. … The Wildcats improved to 4-1 all-time against Iowa and claimed their first regular-season title since taking the 2009 Puerto Rico Classic.
Villanova | Iowa | |
James Bell 20 | Scoring | Roy Devyn Marble 24 |
Darrun Hilliard 5 | Assists | Roy Devyn Marble 5 |
James Bell 9 | Rebounds | Melsahn Basabe 6 |
James Bell 4 | Free Throws Made | Roy Devyn Marble 6 |
JayVaughn Pinkston 2 | Steals | Melsahn Basabe 3 |
Daniel Ochefu 4 | Blocks | Gabriel Olaseni 3 |