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Final Score: Villanova 65 - Pittsburgh 70

Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Ashton Gibbs scored 21 points and Gilbert Brown added 16, as 19th-ranked Pittsburgh pulled out a 70-65 victory over No. 3 Villanova at the Petersen Events Center.

This marked the first meeting between these teams since last year's memorable NCAA Tournament East Regional final in Boston when Villanova claimed a 78-76 win on a last-second drive by Scottie Reynolds.

Reynolds finished with 20 points -- 17 over the final 11 minutes -- in this one for Villanova (22-4, 11-3 Big East), which has lost two in a row for the first time in nearly two years and fell one full game behind Syracuse for first place in the Big East.

The Wildcats and Orange will meet next Saturday in Syracuse. Villanova first will host South Florida on Wednesday, a day after Syracuse visits Providence.

"Pitt made plays down the stretch. Both teams made big plays, but they made more," said Villanova head coach Jay Wright. "I think the good thing about our team is that they understand how to move on to the next game. When we were winning that's what we told them. It's what we always talk about."

Jermaine Dixon chipped in 10 points for Pittsburgh (21-6, 10-4), which has won five straight on the heels of a 1-4 stretch. The Panthers tied West Virginia for third place in the conference -- one game ahead of Louisville. The top four seeds in the Big East Tournament earn a double-bye into the quarterfinals.

Pittsburgh led throughout the second half, but Villanova closed to within two three different times -- the last at 51-49 with just under five minutes left. Gibbs and Brad Wanamaker then hit jumpers to extend the Panther lead to six.

A Corey Stokes three-pointer cut Villanova's deficit in half with 3:18 to play, but Pittsburgh scored five of the next seven points, capped with a thunderous dunk by Brown, to make it 60-54.

After a basket by Villanova's Corey Fisher and two free throws by Gibbs, Reynolds drove the lane for a bucket with just under a minute left to pull the Wildcats within 62-58. Gibbs was fouled with 45.7 seconds remaining and the 90 percent free throw shooter missed a pair from the stripe. He atoned soon after with a steal and made one at the line for a five-point margin.

Antonio Pena sank a pair of free throws with 31.5 seconds left to pull the Wildcats within three and Brown made only one at the other end, but Reynolds had a drive to the hoop blocked by Dixon and Travon Woodall drained two from the line with 12.6 seconds left for a 66-60 edge.

Reynolds was inexplicably fouled on a three-point try and converted all three free throws with 7.2 seconds left to keep Villanova alive, but Woodall hit two more at the line. After a quick Wildcat bucket, Gibbs was fouled with 1.4 seconds left and sealed it with two free throws.

Gibbs finished 9-of-12 from the line and the Panthers were 26-of-34 overall at the stripe. Villanova made 11-of-16 free throws.

"Our defense was the key to us winning today. It was a good win against a very good Villanova team," said Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon. "It's important that we continue to improve and as far as improvement goes, I think we've done it more than any team in the country."

Villanova grabbed a 9-8 edge on a three-pointer by Fisher, but Pittsburgh responded with a 13-2 run. The Wildcats made just two free throws during the spurt and Nasir Robinson's layup with nine minutes to play in the half gave the Panthers a 21-11 advantage.

A jumper by Stokes pulled Villanova within 25-21 late in the half, but the Panthers took a 29-23 margin to the locker room.

Villanova first got within two in the second half at 34-32, but Dixon hit a free throw and Brown added a jumper. The Panther lead soon after reached eight, but Reynolds hit from beyond the arc on consecutive Villanova possessions for a 42-40 game with 10:02 left.

Pittsburgh followed with the next six points, as Villanova never managed to get the tying bucket.