M. Hoops | Knocked Senseless

VILLANOVA, Pa., Dec. 1 - The Big 5 season opener is always a highly anticipated event and is almost always a hard-fought battle. This year's edition was pretty much over from the minute the opening tip was tossed.

In front of a packed Pavilion crowd, Villanova was in control from the start en route to an 87-61 dismantling of Penn. The Wildcats pressed the issue on both sides of the ball and jumped out to a 28-4 lead that would never be overcome.

"We had some jitters in the first half," freshman guard Harrison Gaines said. "We just couldn't get our offense going"

Gaines turned the ball over three times in ten minutes of action, causing head coach Glen Miller to put Aron Cohen in for the final seven minutes of the half. Cohen left the game in the second half with an apparent ankle sprain.

Penn (2-6) upped the tempo at times, attempting to break the press and get easy baskets before the defense could get set. But the speedy style clearly favored the more athletic Villanova (5-1).

In the game's early moments, the young Penn squad seemed overwhelmed by the hyped environment and the Wildcats' superior athleticism.

"We have to develop a mental and a physical toughness on this team," Miller said. "Right now it's lacking."

The duo of Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher set the tone for an aggressive first half as they easily penetrated through the Penn defense. The pair combined for 27 first-half points, five more than the entire Quakers roster managed in the first frame.

The Wildcats proved they are more than a two-trick pony when starters Reggie Redding and Dante Cunningham got in early foul trouble. But Malcolm Grant and Antonio Pena provided boosts off the bench.

There were some encouraging signs for Penn in the second half, and even outscored Villanova 39-34. The Quakers showed some tenacity on defense and the boards.

"You gotta be more physical, first of all," Miller said of his team. "We have to be a much scrappier, much more determined team on both sides of the ball right from the get-go."

The brightest spot for Penn in the second half was Tyler Bernardini, who got hot from the field. The freshman hit four three-pointers in the second frame and ended up as Penn's leading scorer with 21 points.

Penn's success on offense in the second half - the Quakers shot 46 percent - could mostly be attributed to the fact that Villanova called off the press. The lack of pressure allowed the Quakers to get into their offensive sets and get some open shots.

"As we all know, Big 5 games, anything can happen," Wright said. "If we didn't start [the game] like that then the whole game could have been like the second half."

With its twelfth-straight Big 5 win, Villanova tied the all-time mark set by Penn three decades ago. On Saturday, the Wildcats showed little evidence to suggest a forthcoming end to their intra-city dominance.

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