After Halftime Reflection, Villanova Runs Away From Temple 74-56

The first half of Monday night’s game was far from stellar, but the Wildcats (6-1) made the necessary adjustments on their way to an 18-point win over crosstown rival Temple. The shooting in the first half was a huge problem, but even more so than that was the absence of Acaden Lewis. The two-time reigning Big East Freshman of the Week only played five minutes in the first half due to foul trouble. It’s not a coincidence that while he played all but one minute of the second half, Villanova outscored the Owls 45-28. Lewis finished with 12 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists with zero turnovers.

The other catalyst for the victory was Tyler Perkins, who had arguably his best game of the season in this one. Perkins contributed 19 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists on 6/9 shooting (and 5/7 from three-point range). It wasn’t just the production though, but the timing of his plays throughout the night. The junior guard continues to be the glue for this Villanova team.

Returning from a one-game absence, Duke Brennan pitched 14 points and *only* 8 rebounds. On the season, Brennan is averaging 10.8 points and 13.3 rebounds per game, which still leads the country. The senior’s presence is irreplaceable for the Wildcats.

With the full allotment of players available for only the second time all year, Kevin Willard decided to use 10 players against the Owls. The only one of those 10 who did not score was Chris Jeffrey, who only played 7 minutes. Former Temple forward Zion Stanford scored 4 points against his old team.

It was a rough night for Matt Hodge, who was 1/11 from the field and 1/8 from three. It’s clear that coach Willard has given him the green light from distance. Since the BYU game, where Hodge went 1/7 from range, he has shot 40.9% from deep. After last night, his season total has dropped to 29.7%.

Temple was paced by its three leading scorers, Aiden Tobiason, Derrian Ford and Jordan Mason, who scored 15, 14 and 12 points respectively. The trio combined to score 41 of the Owls’ 56 points.

With the win over Temple, Villanova now faces Penn on Saturday, Dec. 6 for the Big 5 Championship. The game will take place at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. at 7:30 PM.

Postgame Pressers: