St. Joe's looks to knock off No. 7 Nova

Published Dec. 18, 2020 6:30 a.m. ET

Associated Press

Saint Joseph's (0-3) vs. No. 7 Villanova (6-1)

Finneran Pavilion, Villanova, Pennsylvania; Saturday, 9 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: No. 7 Villanova looks to give Saint Joseph's its fifth straight loss against ranked opponents. Saint Joseph's' last win vs a ranked opponent came against the then-No. 17 Rhode Island Rams 78-48 on Feb. 27, 2018. Villanova is looking to extend its current four-game winning streak.

SAVVY VETERANS: Senior leadership has been on display for both of these teams. Collin Gillespie, Caleb Daniels and Jermaine Samuels have combined to score 45 percent of Villanova's points this season. For Saint Joseph's, Ryan Daly, Taylor Funk and Jack Forrest have scored 63 percent of the team's points this season.DOMINANT DALY: Daly has connected on 21.1 percent of the 19 3-pointers he's attempted and has made 4 of 19 over his last three games. He's also converted 69 percent of his free throws this season.

PACE OF PLAY: The upbeat Saint Joseph's offense has averaged 80.2 possessions per game, the third-most in Division I. Villanova has operated at a slower pace and is averaging only 65.8 possessions per game (ranked 300th, nationally).

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