National Basketball Association
Villanova 88, Lafayette 48
When: 6:30 PM ET, Friday, November 11, 2016
Where: The Pavilion, Villanova, Pennsylvania
Officials:
# Clarence Armstrong, # Tim Clougherty, # Pat Driscoll
Attendance:
6500
By The Sports Xchange
VILLANOVA, Pa. – It's just one game but Villanova looks primed for another deep run in March.
There was absolutely no championship hangover on the Main Line.
Jalen Brunson scored 17 points, Kris Jenkins added 16 and No. 4 Villanova throttled overmatched Lafayette 88-48 on Friday night in the season opener at The Pavilion, the Wildcats' on-campus arena.
"Our coaching staff does a great job of keeping us humbled and keeping us focused on the task at hand," Jenkins said. "We've got guys that are coachable, guys that want to listen, guys that want to win. In order for us to win, we've got to put that behind us and focus on what's in front of us."
Mikal Bridges also scored 16 points and Josh Hart had 13 for Villanova, the defending national champions.
The Wildcats finished 35-5 last season on their way to the program's second national championship and the first since 1985.
"Playing a game is the best thing we could do to get past last season," Villanova coach Jay Wright said. "I feel comfortable now that we've got a game in. It's a new season."
Matt Klinewski paced Lafayette with 12 points while Nick Lindner added 10.
The Leopards struggled to a 6-24 record a year ago with just three wins coming in the Patriot League.
Opening the 2016 season against the defending national champions couldn't have been easy.
"Jay didn't say he was going to win the national title," Lafayette coach Fran O'Hanlon quipped.
To be fair, this game was originally scheduled for the PPL Center in Allentown, located about 15 minutes from Lafayette's campus. With The Pavilion undergoing renovations in the next couple of years, the game was moved for this season.
Lafayette shot 19-for-65 (29.2 percent) and was outrebounded, 53-33, against the ultra-talented Wildcats.
"That's what a top team has – they have a number of guys fighting for playing time and getting playing time," O'Hanlon said. "It's a really good team and it's really deep."
Villanova built a 32-point lead at halftime and didn't let up in the opening minutes of the second half.
The Wildcats' defensive pressure never lessened and it led to chances on the offensive end. Leading 53-25, they reeled off eight straight points -- a 3-pointer by Jenkins and a jumper and 3-pointer by Hart. Suddenly, the lead surged to 61-25 with 15:47 remaining.
If there was ever any concern about a letdown, the Villanova players repeatedly diving on the floor squashed that theory. This is a new group ready to compete in a brand new season.
"I believe it's pretty easy to do because we have a team that's hungry," said Jenkins, who hit the national championship-winning 3-pointer against North Carolina.
Villanova's deep bench continued to contribute down the stretch as reserve forward Tim Delaney knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner for an 83-48 lead with 3:07 left.
Villanova began the game on a stunning 25-2 run thanks in large part to a suffocating full court press.
Brunson scored five straight points -- a 3-pointer and a layup -- to push Villanova's lead to 43-13 late in the first half.
Jenkins led all scorers with 13 points while Brunson and Bridges added 11 each in the first half as the Wildcats rolled to a dominating 49-17 advantage.
Lafayette struggled offensively and had very few open looks on its way to a 7-for-32 effort. The Leopards shot four air balls in the process.
NOTES: Villanova extended its winning streak to 40 in a row at The Pavilion. ... Lafayette coach Fran O'Hanlon is a 1970 Villanova graduate. ... The Wildcats went 27-1 last season when holding the opposition under 70 points. ... Lafayette started its season on the road for the 19th time in O'Hanlon's 22 seasons. ... Villanova coach Jay Wright has won all five career meetings against the Leopards.
Top Game Performances
| Lafayette |
|
Villanova |
|
Matt Klinewski 12 |
Scoring |
Jalen Brunson 17 |
|
Nick Lindner 3 |
Assists |
Mikal Bridges 4 |
|
Myles Cherry 5 |
Rebounds |
Mikal Bridges 8 |
|
Nick Lindner 2 |
Free Throws Made |
Phil Booth 2 |
|
Monty Boykins 1 |
Steals |
Mikal Bridges 2 |
|
N/A |
Blocks |
Kris Jenkins 2 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
| Lafayette
|
48 |
29.2 |
6-32 |
4-7 |
12 |
26 |
0 |
3 |
13 |
| Villanova
|
88 |
49.3 |
15-41 |
7-12 |
15 |
50 |
4 |
8 |
8 |
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