Game just ended: 11:02 pm eastern time. Villanova Wildcats defeat South Florida Bulls 74-49. Some notes on the game are below.
-On ‘Senior Night’ on the Main Line, both teams came out cold, with each missing their first 3 shots. The Wildcats eventually broke the ice, jumping out to an 8-0 lead.
-The Bulls battled throughout most of the first half, keeping the deficit withing striking range. In the last 6 minutes or so, though, the Cats broke the game open to a degree behind some acrobatic plays by Scottie Reynolds and the long distance shooting of Corey Stokes. In addition, Antonio Pena added some thunderous dunks, while Mouphtaou Yarou provided solid work on the glass.
-As we all know, two of the main issues in Villanova losses this year has been defense and rebounding. The Cats did a very nice job in the first half guarding the Bulls on the perimeter, especially on Dominique Jones, and boxing out on missed shots.
-Halftime score: Villanova 36 South Florida 25
-Although Villanova was home and sporting a 36 game winning streak at the Pavilion, an 11 point lead in the Big East is never safe. Dominique Jones started to knock down some trey balls and suddenly, the lead was a meager 6 with about thirteen minutes left.
-Did you really think the Wildcats would lose on ‘Senior Night,’ though? It obviously wasn’t a guarantee with the way the team has played recently, but I really didn’t think Scottie Reynolds and Reggie Redding would let the team leave without a victory. Sure enough, the Cats began to impose their will via their depth, and the lead ballooned to 17 with 5 minutes left.
-Fittingly, the three (yes, three) seniors deserve high praise for their performances, not only for their outstanding careers obviously, but for their play in this game. Although Russell Wooten does not play very much, he deserves the same amount of credit as anyone else on the squad. Reggie Redding did not put on a stellar offensive display by any stretch, but his defense on the sharpshooter Jones was phenomenal. Wherever Jones went, there was Redding in his hip pocket. For a team like Villanova that has let certain opponents light them up this year, the shutting down of Jones by Reggie was a welcome sight. What else can we say about Scottie? He is simply the rock of this team and the entire program. Like always, he made things happen tonight, whether it was draining a 3, getting to the foul line, creating shots for others, or diving for loose balls.
-Thankfully, ‘Senior Night’ isn’t the last celebration for these seniors, because there is so much more to accomplish for them and this team as a whole.
