Luck Runs Out

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Ryan Arcidiacono hit the tying 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds left in regulation, and James Bell hit consecutive 3s in overtime to send Villanova to its second win over a Top 5 team this week, 75-71 over No. 3 Syracuse on Saturday.

The Wildcats defeated No. 5 Louisville 73-64 on Tuesday and became the first unranked team to beat two Top 5 teams in the same season since Florida State in 2011-12, according to STATS LLC.

Arcidiacono's 3-point attempt to tie with about 25 seconds left in regulation was off the mark. Syracuse's Michael Carter-Williams missed the front end of a 1-and-1 and JayVaughn Pinkston of the Wildcats grabbed the rebound.

Bell missed a 3 and Mouphtaou Yarou grabbed the offensive rebound. Syracuse decided not to foul, giving Yarou time to kick it out to Arcidiacono. He let go a leaner from just beyond the 3-point line to tie the game at 61, force overtime and send the crowd into a frenzy.

With the Orange (18-2, 6-1 Big East) down two points in overtime, Brandon Triche made one free throw with 46.5 seconds left.

Bell followed with a layup to for a 71-68 lead and the Wildcats (13-7, 4-3) held on from the free throw line.

Philly's college fans came down with a case of court-storming fever this week after Villanova's win over Louisville and La Salle's 54-53 win the next night over No. 9 Butler. At the Wells Fargo Center, home of the NHL's Flyers, the fans made it a Philly hoops hat trick, rushing the court in celebration of one of the biggest regular-season weeks in Villanova history.

Florida State beat No.3 North Carolina and No. 4 Duke in its big week.

Darrun Hilliard scored 25 points and Yarou had 14 points and 16 rebounds for the Wildcats while Bell scored 13 points.

Triche led the Orange with 23 points and Carter-Williams scored 17 points. The Orange had an eight-game winning streak and both of their losses came to Philadelphia teams. They lost to Temple on Dec. 22.

The Orange clearly could have use James Southerland in the tight game. Southerland, second on the team in scoring at 13.6 points and the team leader with 33 3-pointers, was declared out indefinitely because of an eligibility matter involving academics that has yet to be resolved.

Jerami Grant, who played well in Southerland's absence, fouled out with 5:22 left and the Orange up one. His fifth foul was against Hilliard. Hilliard missed both from the line, the Orange stormed down in transition off the defensive board, and Triche hit a 3 for a 57-53 lead.

The Orange just could never put them away. They missed six of eight shots in overtime and were only 5 of 14 overall from 3-point range.

Grant's 3-pointer early in the second half gave the Orange their first lead of the game, 33-32.

The Wildcats gave all the students standing behind each basket and dressed in white an early reason to think they would be rushing again. They opened the game on a 10-0 run and stretched the lead to 25-13. But the fun didn't last long.

Triche, a 50 percent shooter on the season, hit Syracuse's first 3-pointer of the half to slice the lead to four. He tipped in a basket at the buzzer to cut the lead to 32-26.

Syracuse missed 10 of its first 14 shots and finished at 29 percent for the half.