Justin Lewis leads No. 24 Marquette past No. 12 Villanova

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Marquette is using the toughest portion of its schedule as an opportunity to showcase itself as a legitimate Big East title contender.

Justin Lewis had 19 points and nine rebounds, and No. 24 Marquette never trailed in an 83-73 victory over No. 12 Villanova on Wednesday night that completed a regular-season sweep of the conference's standard bearer.

It marked the fifth time in six games the Golden Eagles faced a team ranked in the Top 25 at the time. They went 5-1 during that stretch.

"When we approach a game the right way and we're locked in playing for each other and we've just got the crowd behind us and we're playing together as a team, I feel like we're just as good as any team in the country," said Darryl Morsell, whose second-half surge thwarted Villanova's comeback attempt. "I knew it. I tried to warn people. I tried to tell people."

Marquette (16-7, 8-4 Big East) won for the eighth time in nine games and completed its first regular-season sweep of Villanova (16-6, 9-3) since 2011-12. The Golden Eagles won 57-54 at Villanova on Jan. 19 to snap the Wildcats’ 29-game winning streak on campus.

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Marquette's Justin Lewis gestures after making a shot during the first half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against Villanova on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)

Those two losses to Marquette represent Villanova’s only defeats in its last 11 games.

The sweep represents the latest notable achievement for Marquette under new coach Shaka Smart, who rebuilt the Golden Eagles' roster during the offseason.

"There's a lot of new guys on this team and a new coaching