PHILADELPHIA _ Kris Jenkins knocked down a 3-pointer Tuesday night and turned up court in the first half of No. 2 Villanova's 82-57 rout of Penn at the Palestra. It was another swish in a first half that seemed to be full of them.
Jenkins shook his head, puckered his lips, and blew a gust of air, perhaps hoping to cool off the sizzling Wildcats. It would take more than that to put out 'Nova's fire as they hit seven of their 14 3s in the first half and shot 60 percent from the field to build a 19-point lead at the break.
The Wildcats _ the first reigning national champions to play at the Palestra since Villanova's team in 1986 _ never looked back.
Jenkins finished with a game-high 22 points. He hit six of his seven 3s and grabbed five rebounds. Darryl Reynolds added 12 points and eight rebounds. Josh Hart was held out of the starting lineup after Villanova (7-0) said he missed a team weightlifting session. The senior guard entered early in the first half and finished with 12 points, nine assists, and six rebounds.
Jackson Donahue led Penn (2-3) with 12 points. A.J. Brodeur and Darnell Foreman added 10 points each. Brodeur grabbed five rebounds and Foreman dished out five assists.
The Wildcats opened their Big Five schedule with a clinic. They passed the ball with trademark fluidity, played in-your-face defense, and knocked down jumpers with ease. 'Nova finished shooting 12-of-26 from 3-point range and 27-of-49 from the field.
Villanova will play three of its next four games against Big Five foes as it finishes its local schedule in a whirlwind. The Wildcats will be expected to finish the slate unbeaten, and if Tuesday is any indication, they could go untested. A perfect stretch would be their fourth straight 4-0 Big Five campaign.
