PHILADELPHIA _ Top-ranked Villanova appeared as if it was going to go with a steady diet of 3-point shots at the start of its game Thursday night against Creighton.
But after their first 10 attempts all came from beyond the arc, the Wildcats discovered that with a few two-point shots sprinkled in, the 3s will come. They finished the game by tying a program record with 19 treys and rolled to a 98-78 Big East victory over Creighton at the Wells Fargo Center.
The 'Cats (21-1, 8-1 Big East), who won their eighth straight game, knocked down 10 3s in the first half to take a 49-34 lead. Jalen Brunson knocked down four in the period and finished with 19 points. Mikal Bridges led Villanova with 21 points and Donte DiVincenzo added 17.
Villanova also received a fine effort from freshman Collin Gillespie, who was a key figure in a 15-0 first-half run that helped the Wildcats to an 18-point lead. Gillespie finished with eight points and five assists.
The 'Cats shot 54.4 percent from the field overall and outrebounded Creighton, 35-25.
The Bluejays (17-6, 7-4) were paced by Marcus Foster with 20 points.
The Wildcats were locked in an 18-18 tie after nine minutes but suddenly took control. Brunson led a quick 7-0 burst with a backdoor layup and 3-point basket, and after the Bluejays cut the gap to three, Villanova scored 15 straight points over the next 2 { minutes.
Gillespie began the run with a 3-point basket and drew a charge on Foster at the other end. He later set up Omari Spellman for a 3-pointer, and his pass to Brunson in the right corner resulted in a four-point play, giving 'Nova a 40-22 lead with 5:14 left in the half.
Almost as suddenly, the Bluejays ripped off 10 points in a row over the next 1:45, sparked by Khyri Thomas' 3-ball, and closed to 40-32 with 3:17 remaining. But Villanova settled things down and scored the last six points, taking a 49-34 lead into the locker room at the half.
Creighton never got closer than 13 in the second half. Meanwhile, the Wildcats didn't let up on the 3 in the second half and gradually extended their lead. Back-to-back 3s by DiVincenzo boosted the margin to 27, 88-61, with 6:48 to play and the Cats coasted home.
