Villanova 90 - 74 Temple
Final
  for this game

Villanova cruises past Temple

Feb 2, 2014 - 8:33 AM Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - James Bell scored 19 points to lead No. 9 Villanova to a 90-74 thrashing of Temple.

JayVaughn Pinkston scored 13 points, Darrun Hillard II notched 12 points and Daniel Ochefu added 11 for the Wildcats (19-2).

Will Cummings led all scorers with 24 points for Temple (6-14), which has dropped nine of 10.

Quenton DeCosey tallied 18 points and Anthony Lee deposited a 12-point, 10- rebound double-double in defeat.

These two Big-5 rivals played a tightly contested first half before Villanova opened it up in the second.

Villanova went on a 11-2 run that Pinkston capped with a jumper to give the Wildcats a 19-8 lead midway through the first. Temple went over five minutes without a point during the run, but turned up its defense minutes later en route to a 12-0 run that tied the game.

The Wildcats went over seven minutes without a point as the Owls clawed their way back into the game.

Ryan Arcidiacono hit two 3s around a Cummings jumper to close the half and Villanova led 36-31 at the break.

Hillard followed a Bell 3 with one of his own to stretch the Wildcats' lead to 43-31 early in the second.

"I thought there were a couple of 3s that were made that were guarded, especially with Bell," Temple coach Fran Dunphy said. "He's really a great catalyst for them. He was the guy that I was most concerned about."

A 14-0 Villanova run minutes later helped the Wildcats build a 22-point cushion. Temple couldn't cut into the deficit as Villanova had an answer for everything the Owls threw at them.

Game Notes

Villanova swept its Big-5 slate and won by a combined 90 points, the largest combined margin of victory in Big-5 single-season history ... Dylan Ennis scored 10 points in the win ... Dalton Pepper finished with 11 points in the setback ... Villanova shot 31-for-59 from the floor and held Temple to 25- for-69 shooting ... The Wildcats resume Big East play when they host Xavier on Monday ... Temple travels to SMU on Thursday.






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