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Quick Report: Villanova 86, St. Joseph's 72

12/01/2015, 9:15pm EST
By Stephen Pianovich

Stephen Pianovich (@SPianovich)

Villanova won the Holy War for the fourth consecutive year, beating St. Joe's, 86-72, Tuesday night at Hagan Arena.

At first…
No. 8 Villanova made it look like it might run away with the rivalry game for the third consecutive year. The Wildcats jumped out to a 29-15 advantage, even with big man Daniel Ochefu on the bench in foul trouble.  Villanova built the lead with phenomenal shooting, especially from beyond the 3-point line. The Wildcats made five of their first 10 3-pointers and drained a total of eight before halftime.

Turning point…
The Wildcats only hit three 3-pointers in the second half, but none were bigger than Ryan Arcidiacono's to qualm a 12-2 St. Joe's run with about 14 minutes left. The Hawks trailed by 15 before the spurt, and it got the sellout crowd of 4,200 back in the game. And though Arcidiacono's triple wasn't a true dagger, it at least quieted the crowd.

Shining stars…
DeAndre Bembry led St. Joe’s was a large reason the Hawks were able to keep the game close for most of the night. He ended with 17 points and had 13 in the first half, including a late trey to cut Nova’s lead to 10. Isaiah Miles added 14 points for St. Joe’s.

For Villanova, Arcidiacono, Josh Hart and Kris Jenkins combined for 53 of the Wildcats' 86 points. Arcidiacono had 17 and both Hart and Jenkins had 18.

Noteworthy numbers…
St. Joe’s did not allow an opponent to make more than six 3-pointers in any of its first five games this season. Villanova got to six treys with plenty of time remaining in the first half. The Wildcats hit eight treys in the first 18 minutes and finished the game with 11 triples. Both teams had very efficient offensive nights. Villanova shot 31-for-62, while St. Joe’s went 29-for-64. The two sides also combined for 37 assists and 15 turnovers. …The 72 points allowed by Villanova were the most the team has allowed this season.

Up next…
Villanova vs. Oklahoma (12/7, 7 p.m. in Hawaii)
St. Joe’s at Columbia (12/3, 7 p.m.)

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