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Powell leads No. 12 Seton Hall past No. 10 Villanova 70-64

Seton Hall v Villanova

PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 08: Myles Powell #13 of the Seton Hall Pirates reacts after defeating the Villanova Wildcats 70-64 in a college basketball game at Wells Fargo Center on February 8, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

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PHILADELPHIA -- Myles Powell had 19 points, Sandro Mamukelashvili scored 12 of his 17 points in the second half and No. 12 Seton Hall snapped a 17-game road losing streak to Villanova with a 70-64 victory over the No. 10 Wildcats on Saturday.

Quincy McKnight added 14 points for the Big East-leading Pirates (18-5, 10-1), who last won at Villanova on Feb. 26, 1994.

Saddiq Bey scored 22 points and Collin Gillespie added 12 for Villanova (17-6, 7-4), which has lost three in a row.

The teams were meeting for the 118th time, but it was the first matchup when both were ranked in the AP Top 25.

Powell knocked down a 3 from the top of the key to make it 46-42 with 10:18 left, but the Seton Hall star went to the bench after picking up his fourth foul with 9:31 to play. Powell re-entered with 4:54 left and Seton Hall still ahead by four, 55-51, when Mamukelashvili twice followed his own miss before finishing off the glass for a 57-51 advantage.

The 6-foot-11 native of Tbilisi, Georgia, flexed his muscles heading back downcourt after a key basket in the contest.

The Pirates’ lead was still six when Bey drained a 3 from the right wing to cut it in half, 61-58, with 1:39 left. Powell then air-balled a 3 just before the shot clock went off and Bey missed on a drive before McKnight’s two free throws made it 63-58 with 49.1 seconds left. After a Gillespie miss, Shavar Reynolds Jr. clinched it with two free throws with 36.5 remaining.

Villanova trailed by as many as 10 points in the first half when Powell’s 3 from the top of the key put the Pirates ahead 20-10 with 10:36 remaining. But the Wildcats’ offense took over from that point. They pulled even at 25 on Gillespie’s two free throws with 2:23 left before a Bey jumper made it 27-25.

Then, the sold-out crowd of 20,706 erupted at the Wells Fargo Center when Jermaine Samuels stripped Powell, leading to a fast-break dunk by Bey that made it 29-25. The half ended with the Wildcats up 31-27.

BIG PICTURE

Seton Hall: The Pirates have seven regular-season games remaining before the Big East Tournament, where they will be seeking their fourth conference title. Seton Hall, a projected No. 3 seed in Saturday’s NCAA bracket reveal, is vying for its fifth straight NCAA Tournament berth. The Pirates will be looking to make it past the first weekend for the first time in that stretch.

Seton Hall last won the Big East title in 2016 when its defeated the Wildcats in the conference title game. Villanova went on to win the national championship that season.

Villanova: The Wildcats also were a projected No. 3 seed in the NCAA bracket reveal. Villanova, winner of the 2016 and 2018 national championship, has made the NCAA Tournament in seven straight seasons and 14 of the last 15.

UP NEXT

Seton Hall: Hosts No. 21 Creighton on Wednesday night.

Villanova: Hosts Marquette at their on-campus arena on Wednesday night.