HARTFORD, Conn. _ Top-ranked Villanova renewed acquaintances Saturday with its old Big East rival, Connecticut, in the first regular-season game between the two former foes in almost five seasons.
But as Georgetown found out Wednesday night, the Wildcats don't treat traditional past opponents with any less effort than the current ones.
The Wildcats broke the game open with an 18-2 run in the final 6{ minutes of the first half and cruised behind some outstanding 3-point shooting the second half, good for an 81-61 victory over the Huskies at the XL Center.
Raising its record to 18-1, Villanova exhibited one of its best performances of the season at the defensive end and under the boards three days after its 88-56 rout of Georgetown in Washington.
The Huskies (10-9) shot 25 percent in the first half and 34.4 percent for the game. The Wildcats held a 29-15 advantage on the boards in the opening half and 48-32 for the afternoon, and also knocked down 15 three-point baskets.
Jalen Brunson led the Wildcats with 23 points. He touched off his team's late first-half run with seven points then added 13 more in the opening 6:15 of the second half as Villanova extended its margin to as many as 31 points. Donte DiVincenzo added 17 for 'Nova.
The Wildcats held a 39-18 lead at the half thanks to intense defense and ferocious rebounding. They picked off six offensive rebounds in the first 4{ minutes of the game to set the tone, and ended the half with 12 off the offensive boards.
Villanova led 21-16 with 6:29 left in the half while shooting 7 of 27 from the field (25.9 percent), but it picked up its defensive intensity from that point and that translated to easier shots. For the rest of the half, the Huskies made just one of eight shots and committed four turnovers.
The Villanova run started out on a 3-pointer by Phil Booth. Eric Paschall then slammed an alley-oop pass from Brunson to get the lead to 10. A free throw by Bridges was followed by UConn's only basket _ a bank shot by Isaiah Whaley.
But Brunson then knocked down just his second 3-pointer of the half and Bridges added another trey. Brunson then contributed back-to-back dunks _ one off a fast break led by Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree's blocked shot, the next on Booth's steal.
The Wildcats held for the last shot and Booth drained a pull-up jumper in the lane to give the Cats their 21-point halftime margin.
The Huskies cut the advantage to 18 early in the second half but Villanova opened up again, at one point making five consecutive 3-point shots. A 3-ball by DiVincenzo gave the Cats their largest lead, 70-39, with 10:15 left to play and the visitors coasted home.
