No. 1 Villanova blows double-digit lead, Marquette pulls stunning upset

Katin Reinhardt helped lead Marquette on a shocking second-half run. (AP)

Nobody saw Marquette coming. Not before tipoff Tuesday night in Milwaukee; not at halftime; and not even with six minutes remaining in the Golden Eagles’ game against No. 1 Villanova.

But Marquette stormed back from a 13-point deficit to beat the top-ranked Wildcats, 74-72, in stunning fashion. Katin Reinhardt won the game for the Golden Eagles with two clutch free throws with 11.6 seconds to play.

Jalen Brunson had a chance to send the game to overtime, but missed a contested layup at the rim on the game’s final possession. Darryl Reynolds’ putback also rimmed out, and Marquette’s students spilled onto the Bradley Center floor:

STORM THE COURT! WE JUST BEAT THE NUMBER 1 TEAM IN AMERICA! #WEAREMARQUETTE #MUBB pic.twitter.com/YugnPkLIQJ

— Mike Cianciolo (@MikeCianciolo) January 25, 2017

Villanova led 68-55 with under six minutes on the clock after Reynolds tipped in a miss. Duane Wilson kick-started the comeback with a three-pointer with 5:14 remaining. Freshman Sam Hauser hit a massive triple to bring Marquette within three minutes later, then Reinhardt took one dribble to his left and bottomed a rainbow three to tie the game at 70 with just over a minute to go:

Reinhardt with the big 3!!!! And we got ONIONS!!!! All tied #Marquette & #Villanova at 70 late 2H #CBB

https://t.co/bM56HglFI2
— Sports Degens (@TheSportsDegens) January 25, 2017

Reinhardt, a graduate transfer from USC who has now played for three different college programs, led the Golden Eagles with 19 points. He hit four of his seven three-point attempts.

Villanova scored just once in its halfcourt offense over the final 6:40 of the game. Marquette got back into the game by playing a 1-3-1 zone that befuddled the Wildcats, but went back to man-to-man for crucial possessions down the stretch.

It’s the second-consecutive victory over a top 10 team for Marquette. The Golden Eagles beat Creighton 102-94 on the road on Saturday. They now sit at 14-6 on the season, and 5-3 in the Big East.

Villanova has now lost twice in the Big East after going undefeated in non-conference play. The defending national champions fall to 19-2 overall. Their other loss, at Butler, also came as the top-ranked team in the nation.

Villanova wasn’t the only top five team to fall Tuesday. About 30 minutes before Marquette began its comeback, Kansas lost to West Virginia in Morgantown by 16.