Steven Ashworth got the last laugh.
In a defensive back-and-forth game between the Creighton Blue Jays and Villanova Wildcats, the senior point guard redeemed himself.
Up one and looking to ice the game with 14 seconds left, Ashworth threw an errant pass to Wildcats point guard Wooga Poplar. Poplar raced down the court and threw a thunderous slam, sending the Wells Fargo Center into a frenzy. Villanova up one.
In response, Ashworth raced down the court and pulled up for a go-ahead three. It hit nothing but air. However, he got a second chance. Forward Jasen Green corralled the board and was awarded a timeout while falling out of bounds.
Shooters always shoot. Eight seconds left. While Villanova guarded the paint and center Ryan Kalkbrenner, Ashworth flared to the corner. He caught a pass and fired a corner-three. His high-arcing shot hit off the top corner of the backboard and sank ina miracle shot. Blue Jays up two.
After a Villanova turnover, Creighton escaped with a two-point victory.
Ashworths miracle shot capped off a 13-point, seven assists and rebound performance in Creightons 62-60 victory against Villanova on Saturday afternoon.
I knew that Id have some space. But also, as soon as I caught it, trying to make sure that I had a good clean look it at it, Ashworth said when talking about the final shot. Back-pedalling to the corner with the pass coming from the basket isnt the easiest type of shot. Obviously, I missed it a little left, but thats why the backboard is there.
Alongside Ashworth, Kalkbrenner and forward Jamiya Neal handled most of the scoring, posting 22 and 13 points, respectively.
The Wildcats struggled offensively, putting up inefficient scoring numbers. The No. 1 three-point scoring offense in the Big East shot only 3-17 from behind the arc and 39.7% from the field. Poplars 24 points led all Wildcats. Eric Dixon, the nations leading scorer, scored 17, his second-lowest output of the year.
The game was a defensive slugfestneither team led by double-digit points. Villanova was effective on the defensive end, forcing 18 turnovers, including 13 total steals. Creighton only forced six.
The win locks Villanova in a four-way tie for fifth place with Providence, Xavier and Georgetown. In the upcoming Big East Tournament, the top-5 teams receive a first-round bye.
Creighton will travel to play Providence on Feb. 5. Villanova will play Georgetown at home on Feb. 4.
