Villanova (16-5) took full advantage of the six days off, getting out to a 19-point lead in the first half and never looking back. The Friars cut the lead to as little as 8 on multiple occasions out of halftime, but were never able to get it closer than that.
Leading Villanova in scoring were the veteran guards Devin Askew and Tyler Perkins, who scored 20 and 19 points respectively. Askew was particularly responsible for stretch the lead out early on. The two combined to go 8/14 from deep, with the team shooting 13/29 on the night (44.8%).
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It was a team-effort though, as eight players scored and five reached double-figures. Acaden Lewis and Bryce Lindsay bounced back from their 1/21 combined shooting on Saturday at Connecticut, scoring 12 and 11 points respectively on a combined 9/17 shooting. Matt Hodge chipped in 10 points, but his impact was most felt on the defensive side of the floor, where he recorded a season-high 3 blocked shots.
Duke Brennan did not get a double-double, but he did get about as close as you possibly can, scoring 8 points and grabbing 8 rebounds. Most importantly, the Senior went 4/4 from the free-throw line, bringing his season percentage above 60%. The rest of the team combined to go 5/10 from the stripe.
Providence was led by Stefan Vaaks, whose hot streak coming out of halftime was a catalyst in bringing the game closer. Vaaks finished with 25 points on the evening.
Unlike the previous matchup, Villanova was able to contain Jamier Jones, holding the freshman to 7 points on 2/4 shooting. Vaaks, Jaylin Sellers and sophomore Ryan Mela combined to score 55 of the Friars’ 73 points.
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Freshman guard Chris Jeffrey returned for the Wildcats, making his first appearance since Dec. 13 vs Pittsburgh. He missed his only shot in 3 minutes played, but his return was a welcomed one for the depth moving forward.
Villanova is now halfway through its Big East schedule, going 7-3 to this point in conference. If that record can be duplicated in the latter half, the Wildcats will have a first-round bye in the Big East tournament and will have those dancing shoes out for the first time in three years.
