No surprise here: Game of the Year goes to Penn basketball’s biggest win since the last time it beat Villanova back in 2018.
On Nov. 13, Penn men’s basketball pulled off a major Big 5 upset, taking down then-No. 21 Villanova, 76-72, in front of a packed Palestra. Villanova would later finish in sixth place in the Big 5 — yes, you read that right — after losing to St. Joe’s and even Drexel. But Penn was the first team to take down the Wildcats, as Villanova was undefeated going into the November matchup.
Penn’s student section stormed the court once the final buzzer sounded, moshing at center court along with the players.
“I told these guys to come here and this is what they dreamed of," Penn coach Steve Donahue said postgame. "Then to walk out and perform and have the campus basically running onto the court, it’s why you play college basketball.”
The star for Penn against 'Nova was, ironically enough, freshman guard Tyler Perkins, who will be on the other end of the court when those two teams meet next season. Perkins announced his transfer to Villanova in March after just one season in the Red and Blue.
Against his new team, Perkins chipped in 22 points and six rebounds in what was just his fourth collegiate game. As a team, Penn shot 51.1% from the field, 41.2% from three, and out-rebounded the Wildcats 38-35.
Those types of nights were few and far between for a Quaker team that finished this season 11-18, including a dismal — albeit injury-ridden — 3-11 Ivy League run.
Villanova, meanwhile, amassed an 18-16 record and missed the NCAA Tournament for just the third time in the past 20 seasons.
And again, just to reemphasize, the Wildcats finished in sixth place in the Big 5.
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