Villanova Rolls Past Penn, 82-57
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Kris Jenkins hit six 3s and scored 22 points and Josh Hart had 12 points and nine rebounds to lead No. 2 Villanova past Penn 82-57 on Tuesday night.
The defending national champion Wildcats (7-0) dominated yet again, beating the Quakers for the 14th straight time. The Wildcats also settled in for another round-robin romp: Nova won its record 15th straight Big 5 game. Villanova, Penn, La Salle, Saint Joseph's and Temple have long had its rivalry games intertwined in the fabric of Philadelphia sports. The Wildcats have spent most of the last decade stomping the other four teams.
The Ivy League Quakers (2-3) won the opening tip, the students that packed the Palestra roared, they missed their first shot - and Jenkins buried a 3 on the other end. Donte DiVincenzo hit a 3, so did Mikal Bridges and Hart added one and the Wildcats led 40-22.
Jenkins hit three of Villanova's seven 3-pointers in the first half to put this one away in a hurry.
Jenkins, whose buzzer-beating 3-pointer against North Carolina won the Wildcats the 2016 national championship, sank two free throws in the final seconds of the first half to hit the 1,000 career-point mark.
Jackson Donahue led Penn with 12 points.
BIG PICTURE:
Penn: The Quakers never quit in front of a student section wearing red "Beat Nova" T-shirts. The Quakers could be contender to make the first Ivy League tournament in coach Steve Donahue's second season.
Villanova: The Wildcats won their eighth straight game over Penn at the Palestra. The Wildcats are the first reigning NCAA champions to play at the famed basketball gym on the Penn campus since, well, Villanova on Jan. 27, 1986. The Wildcats play two more games against Philly teams before a Dec. 10 game against Notre Dame that could prove their next toughest test. Hart did not start because he was late for a weightlifting session. DiVincenzo started for Hart.
UP NEXT
Penn: The Quaker face another tough city rival Saturday at Temple.
Villanova: The Wildcats try and keep their Big 5 winning streak rolling Saturday at Saint Joseph's.
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