No. 21 Villanova held Maryland to its lowest point total of the shot clock era, as the ‘Cats bested the Terrapins Friday night at the Finneran Pavilion, 57-40. The win moves the Wildcats to 3-1 on the season.
Graduate forward Tyler Burton led scorers with 15, all of which came in the first half, while senior guard TJ Bamba contributed 11. Maryland junior forward Julian Reese was the Terrapins’ lone player in double figures with 10.
“I loved our effort and intensity,” head coach Kyle Neptune said. “Especially to start the game.”
While the ‘Cats struggled with slow starts against Le Moyne and Penn, Villanova had no trouble getting things going against the Terrapins. The ‘Cats knocked down their first three three-point attempts. Thanks to a few defensive stops in a row, they jumped out to an early 13-2 lead. Maryland called its first timeout with 15:23 remaining in the first half.
“That first five or six minutes was awesome to watch,” Neptune said. “That’s where we’ve got to be.”
The shots kept falling. Villanova would shoot 6-11 from deep and 13-21 from the field in the first half. Burton’s 15 first half points matched the team total for the Terps, as the score stood 39-15 at the half.
Some of the team’s defensive success on the evening may have come from the insights of graduate guard Hakim Hart, who transferred from Maryland this offseason.
“I feel like definitely the press defense,” Hart said when asked if there were areas of the game that he was able to help the ‘Cats scout.
During the halftime break, former Villanova forward Mikal Bridges was honored with a jersey retirement ceremony. He addressed the crowd at the Pavilion.
“I’m happy we’re up 24,” Bridges said.
The ‘Cats scored the first seven of the second half to increase their lead to 31. The lead got as large as 32 with 12:31 remaining in the second half.
However, the ‘Cats’ shooting would regress, as they would go from 13:18 to :55, roughly twelve-and-a-half minutes, without a made field goal. The Wildcats also had 11 second-half turnovers. Fortunately for the ‘Cats, the 32-point lead was enough to withstand the Terps outscoring them 25-18 in the second half.
“Their style is hard to play against,” Neptune said when asked about the struggles of the second half. “They’re constantly attacking defensively, they keep you off-balance, I think that had a lot to do with it.”
With a win secured, the ‘Cats can now turn their attention to the Battle 4 Atlantis, their “Feast Week” tournament. The Wildcats will first square off against Texas Tech in the Bahamas before facing either Northern Iowa or North Carolina, depending on the outcome of the games. The ‘Cats will then play a third opponent from the remaining six teams, all in a span of three days. The game against Texas Tech is scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. tip on Nov. 22. It will be televised on ESPN.
