After a first half Wednesday night during which Villanova was uncharacteristically hesitant to let three-point shots fly, the Wildcats found some good spots along the arc to fire away in the second half.
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl found more than his share. The 6-foot-9 forward, who had just 12 three-point baskets in his first 14 games, sank five threes in as many attempts on his way to 27 points, helping to lead the fifth-ranked Wildcats to a 96-64 Big East victory over Marquette at Finneran Pavilion.
In winning for the 11th time in their last 12 games, the Cats (13-2, 8-1) placed all five starters in double figures. Collin Gillespie had his second double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 assists. Jermaine Samuels had 14 points, while Caleb Daniels and Justin Moore chipped in with 12 apiece.
The Wildcats shot 54.2% and held a 40-32 lead at the half. In a bit of a rarity, they took more than twice as many two-point shots as three-point shots in the opening 20 minutes, going 10 of 17 from inside the arc and 3 of 7 from outside. They also scored 16 points off eight turnovers by the Golden Eagles.
But Villanova found the looks from the arc in the second half and converted 10 of 15 shots from deep. They shot 70% from the floor in the second half and 63% for the game. Robinson-Earl was 10 of 11 from the floor and pulled down eight rebounds.
