LAS VEGAS — Eric Dixon scored 24 of his 28 points in the second half, including the go-ahead free throw with 18 seconds remaining, and Villanova outlasted USC, 60-59, in a quarterfinal game of the College Basketball Crown on Thursday night.
Dixon, who became the program’s all-time scoring leader in the opening round of the inaugural 16-team tournament, extended his record with a monster second half to lead Villanova (21-14).
Dixon was responsible for all but nine of the Wildcats’ second-half points, and he grabbed a critical rebound with three seconds left as Desmond Claude’s would-be go-ahead layup for USC rimmed out.
On the previous possession, Dixon broke a 59-59 tie when he hit the first of two free throws earned when he drew contact from Rashaun Agee on a jumper.
Villanova erased a second-half deficit of 12 points, which USC (17-18) built with a 10-2 run coming out of halftime.
Saint Thomas scored all 10 USC points in the spurt, including a pair of 3-pointers, highlighting his team-leading 23-point performance. Thomas added 13 rebounds.
Agee added 22 points, seven rebounds and two steals for USC, which played without Chibuzo Agbo and Wesley Yates III, two of the team’s top scorers this season.
Thomas and Agee, along with Claude (10 points), were responsible for all but four of USC’s points.
Dixon shot 10 for 24 from the field, including 5 for 11 from 3-point range for Villanova. Wooga Poplar scored 16 points on 5-of-16 shooting to go with seven rebounds. Jhamir Brickus added 10 points. Two of Brickus’ points came on a tiebreaking pull-up jumper with 4:04 remaining, answering the last of Thomas’ three 3-pointers.
All six of the remaining Wildcats points not accounted for by Dixon, Poplar or Brickus came from Enoch Boakye, who also grabbed eight rebounds.
Villanova advances to Saturday’s semifinals to face UCF, which beat Cincinnati, 88-80, earlier Thursday.
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