Slater clutch, No. 8 Villanova rallies past St. John’s 66-65
By MIKE FITZPATRICK
AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Brandon Slater made the go-ahead free throws with 2.8 seconds left and No. 8 Villanova barely squeezed into the Big East Tournament semifinals, erasing a 17-point deficit in the second half for a 66-65 victory over St. John’s. Caleb Daniels scored 19 points for the second-seeded Wildcats, who will play 20th-ranked and third-seeded UConn or sixth-seeded Seton Hall on Friday night at Madison Square Garden. Justin Moore had 15 points and two-time conference player of the year Collin Gillespie added 14 for Villanova. Julian Champagnie scored 23 points in an excruciating defeat for the seventh-seeded Red Storm, who are resigned to hoping for an NIT bid after entering the season with NCAA aspirations.