This Saturday, Nov. 15, Villanova men’s basketball (1-1) is back in the Finneran Pavilion for its third consecutive home game. Villanova will take on Duquesne University (2-0) in its fourth game of the 2025-26 season.
The game will end a three-decade long hiatus of meetings between the two teams. In their lone matchup on March 21, 1994, the Wildcats defeated the Dukes, 82-66.
Saturday’s meeting will culminate the inaugural Villanova Challenge, a multi-game event hosted by the Wildcats consisting of three other teams: Queens, Sacred Heart and Duquesne.
With three games under their belt, the Wildcats are off to a promising start to their season.
After losing in a close matchup to BYU, ranked No. 8 in the AP Preseason Poll, the Wildcats have proven that they have what it takes to compete against a depth of talent. Villanova fell to BYU, 71-66, on Nov. 3.
In its home opener on Nov. 8, Villanova soundly defeated Queens University of Charlotte, 94-74.
Redshirt sophomore guard Bryce Lindsey led the Wildcats in scoring in their latest matchup. With an average of 23.5 points per game in the first two games this season, Lindsey will play a critical role against Duquense. He fills a starting role alongside freshman guard Acaden Lewis, redshirt freshman forward Matt Hodge, junior guard Tyler Perkins and senior forward Duke Brennan.
Villanova’s offense was especially successful on the backboards. Villanova out-rebounded Queens, 42-20. Senior forward Duke Brennan leads the Wildcats in rebounds and achieved a career high of 20 boards in Villanova’s game against Queens. Brennan, a 6’10’’ Grand Canyon transfer, showed his leadership on the court with a double-double performance, also scoring 17 points.
Villanova scored most of its points against Queens driving to the basket, gaining 62 points in the paint on Saturday. Villanova will likely continue using the advantage of size to penetrate Duquesne’s defense, with players like Brennan and Hodge in the starting five.
Meanwhile, three-point shooting has not been Villanova’s strong suit so far, as the team was just 4-for-19 from outside the arc against Queens and 10-for-35 against BYU.
Coming off the momentum of a 83-63 season-opening win over Niagara, Duquesne beat Sacred Heart, 92-80, on Friday, Nov. 7.
In its latest win over Sacred Heart, Duquesne was led by the duo of graduate forward John Hugley IV and senior guard Tarence Guinyard, who each scored 25 points. Hugley is also the team’s leading rebounder, while junior guard Jimmie Williams, a transfer from South Florida, has also been effective on the backboards.
Tip-off at the Finneran Pavilion is set for 8 p.m. The game will be broadcast on truTV.
