On Dec. 6, Villanova men’s basketball claimed its first-ever Philadelphia Big 5 Championship, defeating the University of Pennsylvania, 90-63, at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
It was Villanova’s 30th Big 5 title, but its first since the triple-header format began in 2023. The Wildcats (7-1) extended a seven-game win streak with the victory over Fran McCaffrey’s Quakers.
In their last matchup, the ‘Cats soundly defeated the Quakers, 93-49, on Nov. 19, 2024.
Redshirt sophomore Bryce Lindsay led the way for Villanova with 18 points and sharp shooting from behind the arc, going 5-for-6 on three-pointers.
Fifth-year guard Devin Askew was just behind with 17 points off the bench.
“I think there’s nights like now where he’s still not, in my opinion, a full 100% back to the player he was before he got hurt,” head coach Kevin Willard said. “He brings mental toughness, he brings experience, he’s a great teammate. Now that he’s kind of getting his groove back a little bit, you know, I start to see more nights like this.”
Senior forward Duke Brennan achieved his fourth double-double of the season, scoring 15 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
Freshman guard Acaden Lewis, who recently earned Big East Freshman of the Week honors, facilitated the offense with a game-high seven assists and nine points of his own.
Head coach Kevin Willard maximized the depth of Villanova’s roster as 10 different Wildcats put up points against the Quakers. Thirty of Villanova’s points on the night came from players outside of the starting five.
“I think that’s the nice thing about having a guy like Dev come off the bench, Malachi,” Willard said. “They’re older, they’re more physical, they have a different look. When they come on, we always get better defensively. And I think as that unit has gotten, as they’ve been able to practice together, they’ve gotten better options. “
The ‘Cats shot for 55.0% (33-60) from the field and 48.4% (15-31) from behind the arc across the game and 69.2% (9-13) from behind the free throw line.
Redshirt freshman Matt Hodge helped Villanova get to an early lead in the first half by making several three-pointers.
The Quakers threatened later in the half, tying it at 27-27 with 5:49 left until halftime. But the ‘Cats went on a 17-2 run for the remaining time to establish a double-digit lead that they would hold for the rest of the game.
The Wildcats notched back-to-back steals in a high-energy burst to end the first half with a 44-29 advantage. Askew created momentum on offense with a steal and layup combo with 11 seconds on the clock. Freshman guard Chris Jeffrey disrupted Penn’s next possession with another steal, passing it off to Askew, who assisted a layup by sophomore guard Malachi Palmer.
The Wildcats took control of the game and built on their lead throughout the second half.
Villanova’s largest scoring margin of the night was a 30-point lead with 6:44 left in the game.
Despite Villanova’s strong shooting throughout the game, the ‘Cats lacked defensively. Most of Villanova’s efforts on the backboards depended on the 6-foot-10 Brennan. The Wildcats narrowly out-rebounded the Quakers, 38-33.
The trio of seniors Michael Zanoni, TJ Power, and Cam Thrower put up the most points for the Quakers, with 11 points each.
Willard and McCaffrey, who each started new positions for the 2025-26 season, have played one another several times before Dec. 6, coaching at different schools. The two frequently went head-to-head in upstate New York when Willard coached at Iona and McCaffrey coached Siena.
“The biggest factor is our team has been going on and off the [injury list] and even myself,” Brennan said. “It is really important to practice fully healthy. We have three big teams coming up, so hopefully we can get back and practice with all of us and prepare us for these next couple games, it’s super important.”
Villanova will take on No. 3 Michigan on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 6:30 p.m. in Ann Arbor. (FS1) Michigan is ranked No. 1 in KenPom rankings.
