Villanova dominates Temple in Philly Big 5 Classic and ties program record for made threes | Villanova vs. Temple Recap
Written by David Szczepanski on December 8, 2024
PHILADELPHIA, PA–Villanova’s winning ways started a few weeks ago, on November 19th, against a Philly Big 5 rival, the University of Pennsylvania. The Wildcats continued their success on Saturday with a victory against Temple in the Third-Place Game of the Philly Big 5 Classic. Villanova defeated Temple, 94-65, at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia.
Villanova defeated Temple, 94-65, on Saturday afternoon in the 2024 Philly Big 5 Classic.
Villanova has won three consecutive games and four of its last five contests.
Dixon and Poplar lead the Wildcats
Eric Dixon, the second-leading scorer in the nation with more than 25 points per contest, accumulated 24 points and six rebounds against the Owls. Wooga Poplar finished the game with 18 points and seven rebounds. Poplar had a double-double against #14 Cincinnati on Tuesday.
Villanova’s head coach, Kyle Neptune, talked about Poplar’s recent success in his postgame press conference.
“He’s had games where he’s gotten shots,” Neptune said. “He’s defended and rebounded at a high level this year. He’s always guarding one of the team’s best players.”
Jordan Longino was six-for-nine from the field for 14 points. Tyler Perkins, a sophomore transfer from Penn, scored 12 points and knocked down four threes. Perkins spoke about his mindset in Saturday’s Big 5 battle against Temple after the game.
“Just playing hard,” Perkins said. “Doing what I can to help my team.”
Villanova’s Historical Day from Behind the Arc
The Wildcats converted 19 of 30 three-point attempts for a 63% success rate. Villanova’s 19 threes tied a program record for most threes in a single game. The Wildcats had made 19 threes in two games before this contest: against Saint Joseph’s on December 1, 2017, and against Creighton on February 1, 2018.
Villanova also converted 58.5% of its field goal attempts. They accumulated 24 bench points against Temple. The Wildcats also convincingly won the rebounding battle, 37-28.
Villanova led Temple, 45-29, at halftime and extended its lead to 29 points by the end of the contest. The Wildcats scored 49 points in the final twenty minutes of the game.
Villanova’s Defense Limits the Owls to 65 Points
Villanova’s defense limited Temple’s offense with some full-court press. The Owls’ offense struggled to knock down shots and find consistent scoring in the first half. The Owls shot 37% from the field and 30% from behind the arc against Villanova.
Villanova’s strong student section turnout against Temple on Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center.
Coach Neptune highlighted Villanova’s defensive success against Temple, especially in the first half.
“I thought our guys came out really focused defensively in the first half,” Neptune said. “Made it tough for them to get easy shots. I give our guys a lot of credit. I thought we came in and kind of took them out of what they wanted to do defensively, and then we made shots as well.”
Mashburn Jr. Scores 20 for Temple
Temple’s Jamal Mashburn Jr, a senior from Miami, FL, scored a team-high 20 points with three threes. Steve Settle III and Zion Stanford combined for 22 points. Temple’s offense entered the game, averaging 79 points per contest. The Owls could only score 65 points against the Wildcats.
Rare Free Throw Struggles for Villanova
Despite many positives for the Wildcats, Villanova struggled from the charity stripe. The Wildcats converted only 13 of 20 free throws. They also committed 12 turnovers compared to Temple’s seven turnovers. However, Villanova’s hot three-point shooting and efficient scoring carried the Wildcats to a blowout victory.
Villanova’s Three-Game Winning Streak + WXVU Coverage of Villanova vs. FDU
The Wildcats improved to 6-4 after their Philly Big 5 Classic win on Saturday. Villanova finished third in the 2024 Philly Big 5 Classic. Saint Joseph’s defeated La Salle to win back-to-back Philly Big 5 Championships.
Villanova will look to extend its winning streak to four games on Wednesday evening against Fairleigh Dickinson at the Finneran Pavilion. Tipoff is scheduled for 7pm. WXVU’s student-led pregame show coverage begins at 6:30pm.
