VILLANOVA, Pa. -- Despite it being early in the college basketball season, that hasn’t stopped Villanova from feeling the effects of some midseason intensity.
That’s what several Villanova Wildcats endured Wednesday as they improved their record to 2-0 after a sound 90-59 victory over the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers (see Instant Replay).
Tony Chennault was one Wildcat who played through pain, although his injury was suffered prior to Villanova's victory when he took an elbow to the face Tuesday in practice.
“He needed six stitches after being caught in the face with an elbow at practice yesterday,” head coach Jay Wright said after the game. “A short, intense practice, but he took an elbow and split his lip open. I just said, ‘That’s it.’”
Despite this injury, Chennault still played 23 minutes, scoring five points on 2 of 2 shooting.
Freshman guard Josh Hart is another Wildcat who’s had to deal with an injury after suffering a concussion before the start of the season. You wouldn’t know it by his play on Wednesday, as he recorded his first collegiate double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
News
“He’s just getting better and better every day,” Wright said. “I thought he really handled the ball well against their pressure.”
Hart still says he’s not entirely comfortable on the court. Understandable, considering it’s only the second game of his Wildcat career. While he may not be 100 percent comfortable, he’s confident in the support from the rest of his teammates.
“I could be a little more comfortable, but I’ve got my teammates always picking me up,” Hart said. “I definitely have a good feeling, and I always have room to improve.”
Ryan Arcidiacono, who battled a rib injury before the season, suffered a cut elbow just before halftime. He bandaged it up, didn't miss any time because of it, and finished with nine points and four assists.
“These guys talk about playing 40 minutes,” Wright said. “If you say it, you’ve got to do it, and they did it tonight.”
JayVaughn Pinkston led the Wildcats in scoring with 21 points, hitting 9 of 15 from the floor. Darrun Hilliard added 18 points.
Julian Norfleet was the Mountaineers’ leading scorer with 15 points.
In their season opener against Lafayette, the Wildcats made a paltry 5 of 30 three-point shots. They cut those attempts nearly in half on Wednesday, going 6 for 16.
Rather than taking the three-point shot, the ‘Cats elected to drive the ball to the basket -- and converted. They scored 60 points in the paint and shot 62.7 percent from the field.
The Wildcats broke the game open with a 16-0 run early in the first half and thereafter maintained a double-digit lead.
“You’re not always going to beat the pressure on the three,” Wright said. “You’ve got to take it to the basket.”
The Wildcats’ 90 points is the most they’ve scored since scoring 94 against DePaul on Feb. 5 of last season. It’s also the first time they’ve won by 30 or more since a 106-70 point win over Monmouth on Nov. 11, 2011.
“I think Mount St. Mary’s is a much better team than what the score indicates,” Wright said. “We just watched film of them, we knew they were going to be good. We just played well.”