Tuesday, November 19, Finneran Pavilion
If Penn thought they could pull off the same upset against their Philadelphia rivals as they did last year, they were quickly proven wrong.
The Villanova Wildcats bounced back to an even record with a dominating 93-49 victory over the Penn Quakers in their second Big Five matchup on Tuesday night at Finneran Pavilion.
The Wildcats entered the game as 14.5-point favorites, coming off back-to-back losses to Virginia and St. Joe’s. Head coach Kyle Neptune’s squad was in need of a win, and they delivered in a big way.
At the start of the game, both teams came out firing, especially from beyond the arc, as both squads found success from deep. Nova led 21-15 at the first media timeout, and it appeared the game would turn into a battle between the big men. Nick Spinoso was 2-for-2 from three for Penn, while Villanova’s offense was flowing through forward Eric Dixon.
However, Penn battled back to tie the game at 26-26 with just under nine minutes left in the first half.
At this point, Villanova struggled to contain the three-point shot, which they had struggled with in all three of their losses this season. The Wildcats looked like the better team even at the start, but open looks from beyond the arc were falling for Penn and keeping the Quakers in the game.
But that wouldn’t last for long.
Out of the timeout, the Wildcats took control and went on a 17-0 run to close out the half. The open shots disappeared for Penn, they weren’t securing any offensive rebounds, and Villanova physically dominated the Quakers on both ends of the floor.
At the half Villanova Guard Jhamir Brickus had dished out six assists, Tyler Perkins (a former Penn Quaker who transferred to Villanova this season) had ten points including two made threes, and Forward Eric Dixon had eleven points and was a perfect 3-for-3 from deep. For Penn, Center Nick Spinoso had cooled off and finished the half with only six points, Guard Michael Zanoni also had six points, and Forwards Ethan Robers and Johnnie Walter each had four points.
After the half, there was no slowing down for the Wildcats as they ended any hopes the Quakers might have had of coming back. An 18-5 run to start the second half extended Villanova’s lead to thirty. Since the game was tied at 26-26, Villanova had gone on an astounding 35-5 run between the two halves.
The game was no longer just about Eric Dixon; the whole Nova squad was finding the basket. Guys like Wooga Poplar and Jordan Longino were scoring at will, and Penn head coach Steve Donahue was left searching for answers.
There were none.
Dixon would knock down his 23rd point of the night with 5:46 left in the game before checking out of the contest. Important to note, Dixon is the only player in the country shooting perfect from the line with at least twenty attempts for the season. At first this streak was snapped when his last free throw of the game hit the rim, but a lane violation on Penn gave him another chance to extend the streak. Dixon would not miss his second try.
As the game winded down, Nova starters checked out. Perkins finished the game with 12 points and 9 rebounds, Brickus closed out with 16 points and 8 assists, Poplar had 19 points, and Dixon had 6 rebounds to go along with his 23 points. Dixon has hit the 20 point mark in all five games he has played this season.
Nobody for Penn would reach double-digits in any statline. Zanoni would have the game high for the Quakers with 9 points, Walter and Roberts would both finish with 7 points and an assist, and Penn Center Oberti would finish with 7 points and 4 rebounds.
Up next for the Wildcats will be Maryland on Saturday November 24th at 1 p.m. for their opening match in the Empire Classic. The game will take place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey and will air on ESPN.
As far as the Quakers, they won’t take the floor until Friday November 29th against Navy for the first of three straight games at the Palestra. On Saturday November 30th they will take on Maine, and they will close out the weekend with Elon on Sunday December 1st.