National Basketball Association
Villanova 98, Creighton 78
When: 6:30 PM ET, Thursday, February 1, 2018
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Officials:
# Brian O'Connell, # Ron Grover, # Mike Roberts
Attendance:
10225
By Field Level Media
Mikal Bridges scored 21 points, Jalen Brunson added 19 and No. 1-ranked Villanova defeated Creighton 98-78 Thursday at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
Donte DiVincenzo contributed 17 and Omari Spellman had 14 for the Wildcats (21-1, 8-1 Big East). Eric Paschall had 11 points and a game-high eight rebounds.
The Wildcats tied a program record with 19 made 3-pointers. They attempted 39 shots from beyond the arc. Villanova shot 37 of 68 (54.4 percent) from the floor overall.
Villanova, the No. 1 team in the country for the fourth consecutive week, opened its four-game homestand with yet another victory. The Wildcats keep winning despite the absence of guard Phil Booth, who is out indefinitely due to a fractured bone in his right hand.
The Wildcats have taken 17 of the 19 all-time meetings against Creighton, including eight in a row.
Marcus Foster led Creighton (17-6, 7-4) with 20 points while Kaleb Joseph and Khyri Thomas added 12 apiece. The Bluejays had won consecutive games over St. John's and Georgetown in the past week.
Bridges knocked down a 3-pointer, the Wildcats' 13th of the game, for a 59-43 advantage early in the second half.
Villanova's Collin Gillespie later hit a deep 3-pointer from the wing for a 64-48 lead with 14:01 remaining.
It was more than enough of a cushion in another blowout win for the Wildcats. Even walk-on Matt Kennedy hit a late basket, drawing a loud ovation from the home crowd.
Brunson and Bridges combined for 29 points on 11-of-17 shooting as the Wildcats raced to a 49-34 halftime lead.
Villanova shot 19 of 32 before the break, including a sizzling 10 of 18 from beyond the arc. The Wildcats registered 13 first-half assists on the 19 made field goals and committed only three turnovers.
No Creighton player was able to reach double figures before halftime.
--Field Level Media
Top Game Performances
Creighton |
|
Villanova |
Marcus Foster 20 |
Scoring |
Mikal Bridges 21 |
Davion Mintz 7 |
Assists |
Donte DiVincenzo 5 |
Mitch Ballock 4 |
Rebounds |
Eric Paschall 8 |
Kaleb Joseph 8 |
Free Throws Made |
Mikal Bridges 2 |
Marcus Foster 3 |
Steals |
Donte DiVincenzo 2 |
Ty-Shon Alexander 1 |
Blocks |
Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree 1 |
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
Creighton
|
78 |
49.0 |
6-18 |
22-24 |
14 |
23 |
2 |
4 |
8 |
Villanova
|
98 |
54.4 |
19-39 |
5-6 |
19 |
32 |
2 |
4 |
6 |