Two-hundred and twenty-one days after seeing its season end in the first round of the NIT, Villanova men’s basketball was back on the court Sunday afternoon for an exhibition matchup with Robert Morris. 

The Wildcats defeated the Colonials, 87-73. Graduate forward Eric Dixon led all scorers with 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting. Senior guard Jordan Longino had 21, while Dixon’s new frontcourt partner senior forward Enoch Boakye had a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double performance. Graduate guard Jhamir Brickus logged 10 assists.

Following the game, head coach Kyle Neptune praised his team’s efforts and ability to come away with a win. 

“I thought we set the tone at the beginning, trying to defend from a high level,” Neptune said. “Give Robert Morris a lot of credit. They made some runs, and I thought they were really tough.” 

Neptune credited Brickus, who joined the Wildcats this offseason after four seasons with La Salle, with helping get players such as Dixon, Longino and Boakye on the scoresheet. 

“[Brickus] can do everything out on the floor,” Neptune said. “He makes guys better, he can handle tough situations, he can handle pick and roll. Give [Brickus] a lot of credit. He’s a basketball player, and he makes great plays for him and his teammates.” 

The majority of the Wildcats roster participated in the exhibition, but before tip-off it was announced four-star freshman forward Matthew Hodge would miss the game due to pending completion of the NCAA Initial Eligibility Process. 

“[Hodge] has maintained a great attitude since we learned of this and continues to get better each day in practice,” Neptune said in a pre-game statement. “We look forward to the day when Matt is with us in uniform.”

The game got off to a fast start. Graduate forward Eric Dixon scored nine early points, followed by six points from senior Enoch Boakye. 

Despite the hot start from Dixon and Boakye, Robert Morris answered back, keeping the game tightly contested. 

With three minutes left in the first half, the Wildcats were leading by just four points. 

Freshman forward Kris Parker, who missed the Blue and White scrimmage with injury, made his Villanova debut midway through the first half. Parker recorded six points on 3-of-6 shooting, including an emphatic put-back slam. 

Longino, who is expected to play a significant role this season, got off to a slow start. He did not score for the opening 11 minutes of the first half. By the end of the half, he had recorded eight points. 

Longino’s eight points in combination with Dixon’s 17 first half points led the Wildcats to a 42-35 lead going into halftime. 

Coming out of the break, the Wildcats built off of the momentum they had started to show late in the first half. 

Dixon and Boakye both continued to replicate what they had shown earlier in the game. Dixon worked at the perimeter, on the low block, and in the paint. 

Boakye’s size and athleticism at the center position unleashed Dixon’s ability to score from different spots on the floor. 

“Boakye’s a force, especially defensively,” Neptune said. “Leadership wise [Boakaye] is talking and making sure everyone’s on the same page. He’s just a great calming, older voice in the locker room and obviously really good around the rim as well.” 

While Boakye and Dixon handled business in the paint, Longino continued to build off his hot streak at the end of the first half. Longino knocked down several mid-range shots to increase the Wildcat lead.

Back-to-back threes from Dixon and Longino with 10 minutes to play in the game pushed the Wildcats’ lead into double digits. A 66-53 lead eventually ballooned to a 17-point 83-66 lead with two minutes to play. 

Despite an effective full court press from Robert Morris that forced four turnovers across the final 3:30 of play, the Wildcats were able to get away with a comfortable 87-73 win. 

The game was the final tuneup before opening night. On Monday, Nov. 4, the Wildcats will take on Lafayette at 8 p.m. in the Finneran Pavilion. The Wildcats will be without Dixon, who is serving a one-game NCAA suspension for participating in an unauthorized pre-draft event this summer.