Came up short on a great night in Mackey Arena. Ready to get after it again on Friday. #BoilerUp https://t.co/jwVwesXst1
-- Purdue Basketball (@BoilerBall) November 15, 2016
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#BoilerNotes
- Purdue fell to 38-2 at home during the month of November under Matt Painter ... the two losses are to Bucknell and Villanova, who is coached by Jay Wright, a Bucknell grad.
- Purdue was hosting its third non-conference defending national champion in arena history ... UCLA on Dec. 2, 1967; Louisville on Jan. 18, 1987 and Villanova.
- Purdue fell to 0-6 all-time against non-conference top-five opponents at Mackey Arena ... the six losses have come by a combined 33 points (2, 5, 5, 2, 16, 3).
- Purdue is now 12-14 all-time against defending national champions, falling to 9-4 over its last 13 games.
- Purdue saw a nine-game home winning streak come to an end against Villanova ... Purdue is now 24-2 in its last 26 home games ... it also snapped a 10-game non-conference home winning streak.
- Purdue fell to 98-13 under Painter when shooting better than 48.0 percent from the field ... when opponents shoot better than 48.0 percent, Purdue is 15-55.
- Caleb Swanigan recorded his second straight 20-point game with 20 points, eight rebounds and four assists ... it marked his fourth career 20-point game.
- Isaac Haas scored 22 points in just 20 minutes, going 8-of-10 from the field ... for the season, Haas has 44 points in 45 minutes, shooting 17-of-21 from the field ... it marked the eighth time in his career he scored more points than minutes played.
- Haas and Swanigan combined for 25 of Purdue's 37 second-half points.
- Vincent Edwards dished out a career-best eight assists.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) No. 15 Purdue kept making No. 3 Villanova hold its breath Monday night.
Josh Hart made sure the Wildcats followed the same old beat.
The preseason All-America guard scored 24 points, made big shot after big shot and calmly sank the final four free throws of the game to help the defending national champions hang on for a 79-76 victory.
''Josh just said to me at the beginning of the second half that `we got this,''' Wildcats coach Jay Wright said. ''That's the real strength of this team - the leadership. I think that's what you saw the start of the second half.''
Villanova (2-0) has won eight straight games, including the six NCAA Tournament wins that led to last season's national championship. And as far as early-season victories go, this was about as big as they come.
Purdue had won nine straight on its home court and had only lost one previous November game since Matt Painter took over as coach in 2006-07.
The difference was Villanova had Hart, who finished three points short of his career high, and the Boilermakers didn't have an answer.
''We had to do a better job on Josh Hart,'' Painter said. ''Their overall toughness is among the best in the country.''
Purdue sure didn't make it easy on the Wildcats, who made their first seven shots of the second half and charged to a 56-45 lead.
The Boilermakers rallied behind Isaac Haas and Caleb Swanigan, who combined for five straight baskets during a flurry that pulled Purdue to 61-60. Haas scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half, and Swanigan had 20 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
But with Hart's shooting and the Wildcats' stout defense, the Boilermakers never took the lead, never tied the score and couldn't make either 3-pointer that could have forced overtime in the waning seconds.
''This game was huge for us, playing a great team, a very disciplined team in that crazy environment,'' Hart said.
Darryl Reynolds had 12 points and eight rebounds for Villanova.
COUNT IT
The Boilermakers erased a 39-34 deficit in the final 40 seconds of the first half with a layup from Swanigan and after Vince Edwards scooped up a loose ball and got it to guard P.J. Thompson, who banked in a buzzer-beating 3 from midcourt to tie it. The crowd went wild long before a replay review confirmed the original call that it counted.
POLL IMPLCATIONS
Purdue: The Boilermakers aren't likely to slide much, if at all, after coming within a basket or two of upsetting a top-5 team.
UP NEXT
Purdue: Hosts Georgia State on Friday, marking the return of former IUPUI coach Ron Hunter. The Boilermakers are 24-2 at Mackey Arena over the last 26 games.