Watch: Marquette Beats No. 1 Villanova 74-72, Golden Eagles Fans Storm Court

Very few expected Marquette to emerge the winner of Tuesday’s men’s basketball game against the top-ranked Villanova Wildcats, even in the dying minutes of the contest.

Watch: Marquette Beats No. 1 Villanova 74-72, Golden eagles fans storm Court

But they did it: the Golden Eagles(14-6, 5-3 Big East) roared back from a 17-point deficit to defeat Villanova (19-2, 7-2) 74-72 at home.

After Marquette’s Katin Reinhardt hit two key free throws with 11.6 seconds remaining to break a 72-all tie, the Wildcats missed two opportunities to tie on a layup and a putback at the buzzer.

The Golden Eagles fans, unsurprisingly overjoyed at seeing the men’s team defeat the No. 1 team in the nation, all stormed the court at the Bradley Center.

“I don’t even know what to say,” Reinhardt said. “You dream of these types of moments.”

The senior guard transferred to Marquette following stints with NCAA Tournament teams at UNLV and Southern California. He has experienced these intense and suspenseful moments before.

Reinhardt finished with 19 points, going 4 of 7 from 3-point territory and 5 of 6 from the foul line. But he was upset about that one missed free throw when he stepped to the line with 11 seconds left.

“Every time I go to the free throw line, I have the same routine. One, two, three — three dribbles I have. Breathe in, breathe out and let it fly,” he recounted.

The win marks Marquette’s second victory over a top-10 team, after the Golden Eagles defeated then-No. 7 Creighton 102-94 last week.

Villanova, which had been ranked No. 1 for seven weeks in total this season, had two opportunities to send the game into overtime on the final possession. Jalen Brunson missed a layup, and then Darryl Reynolds couldn’t convert on an offensive rebound.

“You’ve got to put a whole 40 minutes together. Sometimes you get on the road and a team gets hot,” coach Jay Wright said. “If you don’t finish the 40 minutes, they’ll get you.”

Reinhardt’s 3-pointer from the right wing tied the game at 70 with 1:04 remaining.

Mikal Bridges had a season-high 20 points for the Wildcats.

Villanova led 68-55 with under six minutes left after Reynolds tipped in a miss. Duane Wilson ignited the comeback with a 3-pointer with 5:14 left. Freshman Sam Hauser hit a huge triple to put the Golden Eagles within three moments later, and then Reinhardt sank his big game-tying 3.

The Wildcats scored just once in their half-court offense over the last 6:40 of the game.

Villanova wasn’t the only top-five team who lost on Tuesday, however. Approximately 30 minutes before Marquette began its comeback, Kansas lost to West Virginia by 16 points.

The Wildcats next take a brief break from Big East play by hosting No. 12 Virginia at the Wells Fargo Center on Sunday.

Marquette, meanwhile, finishes a two-game homestand by hosting Providence on Saturday.

MILWAUKEE, WI – JANUARY 24: Duane Wilson #1 of the Marquette Golden Eagles drives to the basket during the second half of a game against the Villanova Wildcats at BMO Harris Bradley Center on January 24, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Article by Pablo Mena