Seton Hall @ Villanova preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 16, 2019 ) Seton Hall 72, Villanova 74

The top two teams in the Big East square off Saturday when 13th-ranked Seton Hall hosts No. 12 Villanova. The Pirates are 9-1 in league play, while the Wildcats are 7-3 following back-to-back losses entering this matchup.

Its last time out, Villanova fell to Butler 79-76 on Kamar Baldwin's 3-pointer at the second-half buzzer. "That's tough," Wildcats guard Collin Gillespie said after scoring 28 points. "I was just trying to get back and he hit a tough shot at the end." As for Seton Hall, the team rebounded from its first league defeat by topping Georgetown 78-71 its last time out as Myles Powell scored 34 points to the dismay of Hoyas coach Patrick Ewing. "We tried everything," Ewing said. "We tried to mix our defenses up, (had) a couple different guys on him. He had it rolling."

TIME: 2:30 p.m. ET. TV: FOX

ABOUT SETON HALL (17-5, 9-1 Big East): In addition to Powell's big game against Georgetown, Jared Rhoden contributed 12 points and nine rebounds and Romaro Gill pitched in with eight blocks. Rhoden has scored double-digit points in four straight games and has made multiple 3s in each of his last three contests, while Gill recorded multiple blocks for the 13th time in his last 14 outings. But the obvious star of the team is Powell, who averages 22 points but is just 7-of-34 from 3-point land over the last four games.

ABOUT VILLANOVA (17-5, 7-3): The Wildcats received 57 of their 76 points against Butler from Saddiq Bey and Gillespie, while the rest of the team combined for only six buckets. Gillespie had six assists, but the rest of his teammates combined for two assists, however on the bright side, Villanova totaled only three turnovers on the day. Bey made five 3-pointers for the second time in the last three games in raising his scoring average to 15.6, just behind Gillespie (15.9) for the team lead.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Gillespie has recorded more than one turnover only once in the last seven games.

2. Seton Hall F Sandro Mamukelashvili had a season-high 12 rebounds against Georgetown.

3. The teams meet again March 4 on the Pirates' home court.

PREDICTION: Seton Hall 74, Villanova 70