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Villanova and visiting Seton Hall are trending in opposite directions heading into both teams’ Big East Conference opener on Tuesday.

After losing four of their first seven games — including a 10-point home upset against Columbia and a one-point defeat against Maryland — the Wildcats (7-4) have rebounded to win four consecutive contests.

The team shot 55.6 percent from the floor and 19-of-22 from the foul line in Wednesday’s 86-72 win over Fairleigh Dickinson. Eric Dixon led the way with 27 points on 9-of-13 shooting, raising his season average to a Division I-best 25.8 points per game.

Wooga Poplar scored 19 points and Jhamir Brickus chipped in 10 points and 10 assists.

“We always talk about every game being a Super Bowl for us,” Wildcats coach Kyle Neptune said. “This game was no different. We work all year to get what we want so every game we go into we want to play the best we can.”

Looking ahead, Neptune is eager to see a crisper all-around effort from his squad in its first conference clash.

“I think right now we’re in a decent spot,” he said. “I think we can continue to improve defensively. I’m happy where we are offensively.”

Meanwhile, Seton Hall (5-6) doesn’t have much to boast about these days. The team has dropped three of its last four games and lost 66-63 at the buzzer against Rutgers on Saturday.

Yet by the time the Pirates take the court Tuesday, coach Shaheen Holloway hopes the pain of the last-second defeat is in his players’ rearview mirror.

“We’ve got to let this game sting today, we’ve gotta let it sting,” Holloway said immediately following the loss. “Everybody’s got to feel it, everybody that’s part of the program should feel this sting today. Then tomorrow, we’ve got to get back to work. Plain and simple. We’ve gotta grow quickly.”

Isaiah Coleman, who scored a team-high 15 points against Rutgers, is Seton Hall’s leading scorer at 12.0 points per game.

The teams split their two meetings a season ago. They’ll square off again Feb. 26 in Newark, N.J.

–Field Level Media