University of Delaware Athletics
University of Delaware
#12 Villanova
No. 12 Villanova Uses Three-Point Barrage To Post 78-47 Win Over Delaware
11/30/2014 7:36:00 PM | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA -- The 12th-ranked Villanova men's basketball team knocked down 13 three-pointers as the Wildcats cruised to a 78-47 non-league victory over the University of Delaware Sunday afternoon at the Wells Fargo Center.
Villanova (6-0) entered the game shooting just 28.9 percent from behind the arc but shot 40.6 percent on Sunday, including a 9 of 18 performance during the second half.
Kris Jenkins led a balanced Wildcats attack with 13 points and knocked down four triples, while Daniel Ochefu and Darrun Hilliard added 12 points apiece. Josh Hart contributed 11 points off the bench, while Dylan Ennis was the fifth Wildcat in double figures with 10 points.
Cazmon Hayes again led the Blue Hens (0-5) with 17 points, his fifth straight game in double figures, while his 13 three-point attempts were one shy of the UD single game record.
Devonne Pinkard (left) reached double digits for the second time in three games with 11 points, all in the second half. Kory Holden (below) chipped in with eight points while fellow rookie Eric Carter, making his first career start, notched season-highs of six points and five rebounds.
Delaware again struggled from the field by shooting just 18 of 58 (31.0%) from the field, including 7 of 25 from behind the arc. The Blue Hens held their own on the boards against their Big East opponent, recording a 13-12 edge on offensive rebounds. Delaware again played without junior forward Marvin King-Davis, and continued to feature a nine-man rotation consisting of only freshmen and sophomores.
“We forced Villanova to shoot three-pointers, but give them credit because they made them,” Blue Hen head coach Monté Ross said. “Villanova is a very talented team, and they are playing with a lot of confidence. We did pretty well against their big guys and kept them off the foul line, so that was a positive for us. We're developing and are staying with it; we will continue to learn and be better for it down the line.”
The Blue Hens trailed just 6-4 in the early going following an acrobatic layup by Hayes but Villanova scored the next nine points, taking a 15-4 lead on a Hilliard three-pointer at the 12:29 mark.
Delaware missed 10 consecutive shots but stayed within striking distance by shutting down the Wildcats with a zone defense, as Holden buried an 18-foot jumper to make it a seven-point game. Ennis answered with two free throws for Villanova, but Holden then hit three consecutive buckets to cut the lead to 17-12 and force a Wildcats timeout with 5:48 on the clock.
However the Blue Hens made just one field goal the rest of the half as Villanova closed the period with a 17-4 run, taking a 34-16 margin into intermission when Hart beat the buzzer on a putback.
The Wildcats then scored the first 10 points of the second half, before Hayes made a steal at midcourt and finished with a breakaway dunk to make it a 44-18 contest with 16:36 to play.
Delaware got within 45-23 after five straight points from Pinkard, but the Blue Hens never got closer than 20 during the second period.
The Blue Hens return to action on Wednesday when Delaware plays its home opener against Army at 7 p.m. at the Bob Carpenter Center.
Game Notes:
• Delaware fell to 0-31 all-time vs. ranked teams
• Villanova has won all 13 meetings with the Blue Hens, including victories in each of the last six years
• Delaware has opened a season 0-5 for first time since 2006-07
• UD scored 60 points or fewer for the fifth straight game, the longest streak since the first six games of the 1953-54 season
• Skye Johnson posted season-highs of four poitns and four rebounds
