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In the penultimate home game on the 2011 season a poor shooting Villanova team let Syracuse leave Philly a winner.
Despite being up early in the first half, Villanova found itself shooting cold throughout the game to stay in reach of the Orange until the waning seconds of the game. The Wildcats used a stingy defense and forced 16 turnovers to cut the lead to 1 with 22 seconds to go.
Ultimately it was Villanova's ineptness from the field as the team shot a miserable 21-65 (32%) from the field in the game. This includes 5-26 from behind the arc. The squalor extended to the charity stripe as well- coming in as the best free-throw shooting team in the Conference, 'Nova missed 10 out of 27 shots shooting 63% from the free throw line; a season low.
Without Corey Stokes' team leading 24 points and his 5-10 3-Point Shooting, 'Nova would have been 0-16 from distance.
Isaiah Armwood was the only other 'Cat in double figures. The Sophomore from Baltimore scored a career-high 12 points and added 10 boards for his first double-double as a Villanovan.
Jay Wright's team next takes on St. John's from the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday.
The results of our Closest to the Pin Round 28 are now posted. Click here to see the winners of this round and the updated leader board. Grade the team and players in our poll below.
Box Score
| MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | PTS | |
| Stokes | 36 | 7-13 | 5-10 | 5-8 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 24 |
| Fisher | 38 | 3-16 | 0-8 | 2-2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| Cheek | 14 | 2-9 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Wayns | 24 | 1-9 | 0-3 | 2-3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Bell | 6 | 0-2 | 0-1 | 0-2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| GUARDS | 118 | 13-49 | 5-25 | 9-15 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 40 |
| Armwood | 29 | 3-4 | 0-0 | 6-8 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 12 |
| Pena | 36 | 3-9 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| Yarou | 17 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| BIGS | 82 | 8-15 | 0-0 | 8-12 | 12 | 23 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 24 |
| 'NOVA | 200 | 21-64 | 5-25 | 17-27 | 13 | 30 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 12 | 15 | 64 |
| 32.8% | 20.0% | 63.0% | ||||||||||
| 'CUSE | 200 | 26-55 | 4-15 | 13-17 | 7 | 31 | 17 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 19 | 69 |
| 47.3% | 26.7% | 76.5% |
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