[Westside]

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Facing the BIG EAST’s best 3-point defensive unit, Villanova was forced to turn its focus elsewhere. Forwards Eric Paschall, Omari Spellman and Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree combined for 44 points to help lift the No. 1 ranked Wildcats past Providence 89-69 Tuesday night at the Wells Fargo Center.

Paschall led the way with 17 points to go with five assists, four steals and three blocked shots. Spellman contributed 16 points and six caroms while Cosby-Roundtree finished with 11 points and four rebounds.

Rodney Bullock’s 16 points paced the Friars (14-7, 5-3 BIG EAST).

“Providence plays us tough,” stated VU head coach Jay Wright. “They really hurt us on the offensive glass. Eric was great, Mikal Bridges getting nine rebounds was big, and Da Da (Cosby-Roundtree) was huge. It also helped having Collin Gillespie come off the bench to give us big minutes in the first half.”

“Jalen (Brunson) didn’t have his normal night, Mikal didn’t have his normal night. But other guys stepped up. We need the young guys to keep getting better. Da Da is, Omari is, and getting Collin back in there for us is important.”

Villanova (19-1 overall, 6-1 BIG EAST) misfired on its first five attempts before Spellman sank a 3-pointer to give VU a 3-2 lead. But 3-pointers from Kyron Cartwright on consecutive possessions and empty trips for the ‘Cats allowed the Friars to grab an 8-3 lead after 4:22 of action had elapsed.

As the Wildcats struggled to find an offensive flow, the Friars found the range from distance, dropping in 4-of-6 to move out to a 24-15 after a pair of Maliek White free throws with 7:44 to play in the period.

But consecutive 3-pointers by Donte DiVincenzo and Bridges ignited a Villanova surge that grew to become 22-2 over a six minute stretch. Paschall played a pivotal role here too, amassing nine points as the Wildcats claimed a 39-30 lead at halftime in spite of the sluggish offensive start.

“Da Da and Collin really got us going in that stretch,” Wright stated. “You can talk about depth but is it effective when you put it into the game? These guys are really becoming effective.”

After the 2-of-11 start from the field, the Wildcats bounced back to drop in its final 12-of-19 in the period. Eleven offensive rebounds by the Friars – which helped them build a 13-2 edge in second chance points - were one reason Providence remained within striking distance at intermission.

Providence, which ended the first half on an 8-2 run, carried the momentum into the second half, reeling off an 8-3 surge to narrow its deficit to 42-38 over the first four minutes of the period.

But the Wildcats clamped down at the defensive end and were able to slowly rebuild their advantage. Another Bridges 3-pointer with just under nine minutes to play gave Villanova a 63-48 advantage. The interior work was again paramount as Paschall scored eight points after intermission to help VU create a comfortable margin.

“We’ve been shooting the 3 well but Providence defends it better than anyone in the conference,” noted Wright. “The openings are on the inside. You’ve got to take advantage of it. Eric, Da Da and Omari allowed us to do that.”

The Wildcats will visit Milwaukee to battle Marquette in a Sunday matinee at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. (Fox TV/610 Sports Radio).

http://www.villanova.com/sports/m-baskbl...18aaa.html

[E's Army]

Still #1