Villanova continued its recent dominance of Big Five basketball, storming past Penn for an easy 82-57 victory. Kris Jenkins led the Wildcats with 22 points—including six threes—while also notching his 1000th career point as a Wildcat. Jenkins, Nova’s version of “Mr. Big Shot,” sank two technical free throws for points 999 and 1000, joining an impressive list that also includes fellow standout senior Josh Hart. With this milestone, Jenkins continues to pad his Villanova legacy. Darryl Reynolds was a force in the paint, corralling eight rebounds and a block to go along with 12 points. All five Wildcat starters scored in double figures, including Donte DiVincenzo, who added 13 points in his first start of his Villanova career. With the win, the Wildcats move to 7-0, tied with three teams atop the Big East Conference (Xavier, Creighton, and Butler).

The Big Five season opener at the historic Palestra was never really close, as Villanova opened up an early double digit lead late in the first half and never looked back. The win was the 14th consecutive victory over the Pennsylvania Quakers (2-3). Jackson Donahue led the Quakers with 12 points, but Penn had trouble generating offense against Nova’ suffocating defense. Penn committed 17 turnovers, allowing easy transition baskets for the Wildcats. Jay Wright’s team continues to impress on the defensive end and continued its three-point barrage, nailing 12/26 from deep. The Wildcats look to carry their momentum into two Big Five matchups against St. Joe’s and La Salle.