City of Basketball Love

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin) &
Will Slover (@WillSlover31)
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In front of a packed house at the historic Palestra, Villanova was too much for Penn, as the Wildcats topped the Quakers by a score of 82-57.

At First…

Despite star guard Josh Hart starting the game on the bench due to being late for a team workout, Villanova hit its first six shots from the floor to open up a 15-8 advantage on host Penn. Senior forward Kris Jenkins started especially hot for the Wildcats, as he connected on his first three shots, two of which were 3-pointers, on his way to scoring eight points in the first five minutes.

Turning Point…

Trailing the defending National Champions by just five,18-13, after a Matt Howard 3-pointer, the Quakers went on a scoring drought that lasted over six minutes. From the 13:35 mark until there was just 6:41 remaining in the first half, the Penn was held scoreless, going 0-for-6 during this time, by the relentless Villanova defense While the host Quakers were struggling to put the ball in the basket, Villanova went on a 12-0 run and put Penn away for good, going up by a score of 30-13 and later taking a 44-25 lead into halftime.

Standout Stars…

On the night he scored his 1,000th point in a Villanova uniform -- becoming the 63rd player in program history to do so -- Jenkins had one of his most efficient nights of the young season. The 6-6 forward torched Penn for 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including going 6-of-7 from beyond the arc. Hart didn't have any problems coming off the bench, finishing with 12 points and a career-high nine assists, whole also chipping in six rebounds as well. 

Penn struggled to get much going offensively against a bigger and more athletic ‘Nova squad, but freshman forward A.J. Brodeur continued to show why he’ll be a player to watch over the next four seasons. Brodeur scored 10 points and added in five rebounds against a stout Villanova front court. 

Noteworthy Numbers…

4: Villanova guard Phil Booth missed his fourth consecutive game with left knee inflammation, giving Mikal Bridges his fourth start in a row. Earning his first career start in Hart’s place was redshirt freshman Donte Divincenzo.

53: The number of three-point shots attempted between the two teams on Tuesday night. Penn shot 8-of-27 (29.6 percent), while Villanova came in with a more efficient 12-of-26 mark (46.2 percent). 

Up Next…
Penn (2-3) at Temple (4-2) -- Sat., Dec. 3rd, 4:00 PM
Villanova (7-0) vs. Saint Joseph’s (3-2) -- Sat., Dec. 3rd, 1:00 PM