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12-11-2017, 12:50 PM
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. â Gritty defense and some explosive offense from redshirt junior Phil Booth (18 points) and redshirt sophomore Donte DiVincenzo (18 points and 10 rebounds) helped No. 4 Villanova stave off a challenge from La Salle Sunday. The Wildcats outlast the Explorers 77-68 before 10,611 at the Wells Fargo Center.
The win was VUâs tenth in a row this season and its 21st straight in the Philadelphia Big Five. The Explorers fell to 5-6 overall, 2-1 in the Big Five.
âThey forced us into a lot of 1-on-1 situations and really executed their game plan better than we were able to execute ours,â stated Wildcats head coach Jay Wright. âIt took guys making individual plays, which Phil, Donte and some of our older guys were able to do in the second half.â
La Salle led at halftime (38-37) and with 4:47 remaining on the game clock (62-61). But the Wildcats closed on a 16-8 run to earn the win.
Through the gameâs first 10 minutes the 3-pointer played a significant role. La Salle drained 4-of-6 from beyond the arc while the Wildcats misfired on their first five attempts from deep. After consecutive 3-pointers by Amar Stukes, the Explorers led 16-15 at the 11:33 mark of the first half.
The Wildcats were able to slow the Explorers and crafted a 25-18 lead after Donte DiVincenzo threaded a beautiful pass to an open Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree, who dunked it and dropped in the subsequent free throw with 7:56 to play in the first half. But a 13-5 burst from La Salle lifted the Explorers back in front 31-30 with three minutes on the first half clock.
La Salle pushed its lead to 36-32 before a 3-pointer by Phil Booth temporarily gave the Wildcats back the lead at 37-36. But Stukes raced down the court and dropped in a shot with just under two seconds on the clock in the period to give La Salle a 38-37 lead at halftime.
The Explorers connected on 50 percent of their first half field goal attempts (16-of-32) while VU converted .423 of its attempts, including just 2-of-10 from beyond the 3-point arc. Thirteen Wildcats free throws helped keep VU within one at the break. Jalen Brunsonâs nine points paced the âCats while B.J. Johnson led the Explorers with 12 points.
The Explorers built their advantage to 42-37 early in the period before the Wildcats used a 6-0 spurt, capped by a Booth 3-pointer to regain the lead. Villanova got the margin to 60-53 at the 7:11 mark before the Explorers reeled off the next seven points to draw even at 60 with just over five minutes remaining. After Eric Paschall sank one of two free throw attempts, Isiah Deas dropped in a short runner to give the Explorers a 62-61 lead.
But Booth was fouled on a 3-point attempt and drained all three free throws to give Vu back the lead at 64-62. Then DiVincenzo drilled a 3-pointer from the right wing to make it 67-62 with 3:59 on the clock. Villanova never trailed again.
The final was 77-68. Brunson added 17 points and seven assists for the Wildcats while B.J. Johnson paced the Explorers with 21 points.
http://www.villanova.com/sports/m-baskbl...17aaa.html
The win was VUâs tenth in a row this season and its 21st straight in the Philadelphia Big Five. The Explorers fell to 5-6 overall, 2-1 in the Big Five.
âThey forced us into a lot of 1-on-1 situations and really executed their game plan better than we were able to execute ours,â stated Wildcats head coach Jay Wright. âIt took guys making individual plays, which Phil, Donte and some of our older guys were able to do in the second half.â
La Salle led at halftime (38-37) and with 4:47 remaining on the game clock (62-61). But the Wildcats closed on a 16-8 run to earn the win.
Through the gameâs first 10 minutes the 3-pointer played a significant role. La Salle drained 4-of-6 from beyond the arc while the Wildcats misfired on their first five attempts from deep. After consecutive 3-pointers by Amar Stukes, the Explorers led 16-15 at the 11:33 mark of the first half.
The Wildcats were able to slow the Explorers and crafted a 25-18 lead after Donte DiVincenzo threaded a beautiful pass to an open Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree, who dunked it and dropped in the subsequent free throw with 7:56 to play in the first half. But a 13-5 burst from La Salle lifted the Explorers back in front 31-30 with three minutes on the first half clock.
La Salle pushed its lead to 36-32 before a 3-pointer by Phil Booth temporarily gave the Wildcats back the lead at 37-36. But Stukes raced down the court and dropped in a shot with just under two seconds on the clock in the period to give La Salle a 38-37 lead at halftime.
The Explorers connected on 50 percent of their first half field goal attempts (16-of-32) while VU converted .423 of its attempts, including just 2-of-10 from beyond the 3-point arc. Thirteen Wildcats free throws helped keep VU within one at the break. Jalen Brunsonâs nine points paced the âCats while B.J. Johnson led the Explorers with 12 points.
The Explorers built their advantage to 42-37 early in the period before the Wildcats used a 6-0 spurt, capped by a Booth 3-pointer to regain the lead. Villanova got the margin to 60-53 at the 7:11 mark before the Explorers reeled off the next seven points to draw even at 60 with just over five minutes remaining. After Eric Paschall sank one of two free throw attempts, Isiah Deas dropped in a short runner to give the Explorers a 62-61 lead.
But Booth was fouled on a 3-point attempt and drained all three free throws to give Vu back the lead at 64-62. Then DiVincenzo drilled a 3-pointer from the right wing to make it 67-62 with 3:59 on the clock. Villanova never trailed again.
The final was 77-68. Brunson added 17 points and seven assists for the Wildcats while B.J. Johnson paced the Explorers with 21 points.
http://www.villanova.com/sports/m-baskbl...17aaa.html
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