South Bend, Ind. ? No. 11 Villanova went from its worst game handling the ball to its best, then used its defense to shut down Notre Dame to turn a close game into a blowout.

With the Fighting Irish up by four points, the Wildcats took control with runs of 10-2 and 16-1 in the second half to win, 77-60, on Monday night and keep alive their hopes of getting a double bye in the first round of the Big East tournament.

“That was the best defensive game we played all year,” Villanova coach Jay Wright said.

The Wildcats held Notre Dame to 36 percent shooting in the second half, holding the Irish without a field goal for nearly seven minutes. The Wildcats also turned the ball over a season-low five times after over a season-high 20 turnovers in a loss to Georgetown on Saturday.

Wright credited the heart of his seniors.

“We have a clunker like Saturday, but they never quit. They always come back,” Wright said.