Maalik Wayns scored a season-high 23 points and Villanova cruised to a 71-46 victory over UC Riverside on Thursday in the 76 Classic.
Darrun Hilliard and James Bell each had 12 points for the Wildcats (4-0), who used a 30-6 run to overwhelm the Highlanders.
Daymond Cowlah led Riverside (1-3) with 10 points. The Highlanders shot 31 percent and were 3 of 19 from 3-point range.
Villanova fell behind by six early but turned up the defensive pressure to hold the Highlanders scoreless for nearly 7 1/2 minutes. Hilliard's 3-pointer started a run of 16 unanswered points to put the Wildcats in front 28-14.
BJ Shearry snapped the drought with a jumper at 2:21 for Riverside's lone points during the final 9:47 of the first half. The Wildcats led 32-16 at halftime and quickly pushed the advantage to 24 after the break.
The game was Villanova's first in California since 2003-04.
