Villanova clinches Big East regular season title with 73-71 win over Princeton in Jadwin Gymnasium thriller

Wildcats rally from 10-point deficit, Caleb Daniels leads the way with 20 points

Villanova clinched the Big East regular season title with a hard-fought 73-71 win over Princeton at Jadwin Gymnasium Tuesday night. The Wildcats rallied from a 10-point deficit with just over 10 minutes remaining in the second half to secure the victory.

Caleb Daniels led the way for Villanova with 20 points, including a pair of free throws with 10.6 seconds remaining that gave the Wildcats the lead for good. Eric Dixon added 17 points and 10 rebounds for Villanova, while Justin Moore chipped in 15 points.

Princeton was led by Tosan Evbuomwan, who finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Ethan Wright added 16 points for the Tigers, while Ryan Langborg chipped in 14 points.

The game was close throughout, with neither team leading by more than seven points at any point. Princeton took a 66-56 lead with 10:12 remaining in the second half, but Villanova rallied back to tie the game at 68-68 with 3:09 remaining. The teams traded baskets down the stretch, and Daniels' free throws ultimately gave Villanova the win.

The win gives Villanova the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Big East Tournament. The Wildcats will face the winner of the first round game between No. 8 seed DePaul and No. 9 seed St. John's in the quarterfinals.

Princeton finishes the regular season with a 19-7 record. The Tigers will be the No. 3 seed in the upcoming Ivy League Tournament and will face No. 6 seed Yale in the quarterfinals.