PHILADELPHIA — In an exciting matchup on Friday night, Eric Dixon led the Villanova Wildcats to a narrow 75-73 victory over the Providence Friars, contributing 23 points to the win. As the game neared its conclusion, Tyler Perkins secured the win with a crucial layup just 42 seconds before the final buzzer sounded.

Dixon also made his presence felt on the boards, gathering eight rebounds for the Wildcats, who now stand at 12-7 overall and 5-3 in the Big East Conference. Jhamir Brickus was another standout player, scoring 18 points and shooting 7 for 14 on the night, including 2 for 6 from beyond the arc. Wooga Poplar added to the scoring effort with 15 points, hitting 5 of his 11 shots, which included 2 from 3-point range, along with a solid 3-for-4 from the free-throw line.

For the Friars, Bensley Joseph topped the scoring chart with 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Corey Floyd Jr. contributed an additional 18 points to the team’s effort, while Justyn Fernandez rounded out their performance with 17 points and four assists.

In the first half, Dixon netted 11 points, but the Wildcats found themselves trailing at halftime, 37-32. However, in the second half, Brickus stepped up with a team-high 14 points, helping Villanova outscore Providence by a margin of seven points in the latter half to clinch the victory.

Looking ahead, both teams are set to face Georgetown for their next games, with Villanova scheduled to host the matchup on Monday, while Providence will play at home on Saturday.