Top-ranked Villanova returns to Big East play vs. Providence (Jan 23, 2018)
PHILADELPHIA -- The top-ranked Villanova Wildcats completed their non-conference schedule with a perfect 13-0 record.
The Wildcats (18-1, 5-1) will look to continue their stellar play with a return to Big East action as they will host Providence (14-6, 5-2) Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Center.
Jalen Brunson scored 23 points, Donte DiVincenzo added 17 and Villanova blitzed Connecticut 81-61 Saturday at the XL Center.
Villanova bolted to a 39-18 halftime advantage and dominated the Huskies on the boards by a wide 48-32 margin.
"The mentality is to stay confident and keep shooting," Brunson told reporters. "The guys did a great job inside rebounding and kicking it back out to us."
The Wildcats are so talented and can beat teams in a variety of ways. Even though they shot just 37 percent in the first half, the huge rebounding advantage awarded them extra shots.
In the second half, Villanova started making more shots and the rout was on.
"I thought the key to the game for us was our rebounding," Villanova head coach Jay Wright told reporters. "We haven't been doing that well until recently and I thought it created a lot of second and third shots when we weren't making shots early."
Villanova wound up shooting 15 of 40 from beyond the arc as Brunson led the way with a 5-for-11 performance. This was the eighth time in the last nine games that Villanova hit at least 10 3-pointers.
"It was nice to play well here and rebounding like that was big for us," Wright said. "We're getting better."
The Wildcats have won the last five meetings against Providence including both games last season. Wright is 20-8 all-time against Providence.
Providence (14-6, 5-2) captured its fourth straight win Saturday following an impressive 85-71 victory over visiting Creighton.
Alpha Diallo led the way with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Kyron Cartwright added 20 points and seven assists, Isaiah Jackson contributed 11 points and Rodney Bullock had 10.
"Creighton didn't shoot the ball like they normally do and hopefully that was because our defense was just OK," Providence coach Ed Cooley told the Providence Journal. "The whole emphasis was trying to take away their 3s. It's all predicated on how you guard the ball screen."
Diallo was the difference in this game and that's exactly what the Friars are hoping for when they visit Villanova.
"Coach tells me I'm a mismatch nightmare," Diallo told the Journal. "Playing against different defenders I can put smaller guys in the post or, if they're bigger, slower guys, I can drive and take them off the dribble."
Providence holds a 2-14 mark in program history against the No. 1-ranked team. The last time the Friars played a top-ranked team on the road came when Villanova defeated them 78-68 at the Wells Fargo Center a year ago.
Providence has been hampered by injuries all season. Senior forward Emmitt Holt is already out for the season with an abdominal injury. Freshman center Dajour Dickens hurt his back and has missed the last 16 games. Sophomore guard Maliek White suffered a leg injury in a win over Brown on Dec. 6. White missed 10 games but returned play against Creighton.
