Moore's Heroics Save 'Cats in Big East Thriller

In a classic March Madness nail-biter, senior guard Justin Moore drained a clutch go-ahead three-pointer with under 9 seconds left to lift Villanova past underdog DePaul 58-57 in the opening round of the Big East Tournament.

The heavily favored Wildcats looked headed for a disastrous early exit against the 3-win Blue Demons before Moore’s heroics bailed them out. His calm, cold-blooded triple from the top of the key completed a gritty comeback for Villanova and staved off an embarrassing season-ending loss.

“Just proud of our guys, never gave in,” Moore said. “In the moment, I just wanted to win. Big-time players make big-time plays.”

It was a much-needed signature moment for the oft-injured Moore, who has battled back from multiple health setbacks over the past few seasons. His late-game poise epitomized Villanova’s veteran resilience and refusal to go quietly.

“This is March,” head coach Kyle Neptune said. “Thank God for Justin Moore…we drew up the play and knew who we were going to.”

Moore’s bailout prevented a catastrophic collapse against the lowly Blue Demons, who finished winless in Big East play and had lost their previous 20 games overall. DePaul even led by as many as 8 in the second half before Villanova surged ahead.

But the ‘Cats’ shooting woes persisted, and they struggled to solve DePaul’s stubborn zone defense all night. Each time Villanova grabbed a slim lead, the Blue Demons had an answer, setting up Moore’s dramatic walk-off winner.

After DePaul’s Jalen Terry scored to make it 57-55 with 1:13 left, both teams went scoreless until Moore rose up smoothly in rhythm and buried the triple over the outstretched arms of defenders.

“Nothing changes,” Neptune said of the team’s preparation moving forward. “Another opportunity to play for the people in our locker room…Who else can miss the shots we did and still get stops and find a way to win?”

Eric Dixon had 21 points and 9 rebounds to lead Villanova, while Terry’s 18 points and 15 boards paced DePaul in their valiant effort. But it was Moore’s brilliant cameo that inevitably stole the show and extended Villanova’s season by at least one more game.

The Wildcats move on to face #3 seed Marquette in the quarterfinals on Thursday night, though the Golden Eagles may be shorthanded without Player of the Year Tyler Kolek, who is recovering from an oblique injury.

Regardless of that matchup’s particulars, Villanova will cherish surviving this harrowing test of wills first. It took every ounce of determination and one singular clutch shot to avoid catastrophe and keep dancing in March.