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Reynolds eyes another big performance vs. Louisville

Jan 10, 2009 - 11:29 AM No. 21 Louisville (10-3) at No. 17 Villanova (13-2) 12:00 p.m. EST

VILLANOVA, Pennsylvania (Ticker) -- Villanova needed a breakout performance from Scottie Reynolds to escape with a victory during its last game.

The 17th-ranked Wildcats will need another strong game from Reynolds if they want get past No. 21 Louisville on Saturday.

The junior guard, Reynolds tied a career-high with 40 points and converted four free throws in the closing 14 seconds to help Villanova (13-2, 1-1 Big East) escape with an 89-85 overtime victory against Seton Hall on Tuesday.

Reynolds ended up making 15-of-16 foul shots and 10-of-17 shots from the field with five 3-pointers en route to matching his 40-point effort from a win at Connecticut on February 28, 2007, when he was a freshman.

"He was great," Wildcats coach Jay Wright told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "In a close game like this, he loves to have the ball in his hands."

Reynolds will likely have the ball plenty against the Cardinals (10-3, 1-0), who are coming off a 71-57 victory over South Florida in their Big East opener on Wednesday.

Earl Clark had 22 points and nine rebounds for Louisville, which earned its first conference-opening win since joining the Big East in 2005.

The game kicks off a tough stretch for the Cardinals. After the meeting with Villanova, Louisville returns home to face 13th-ranked Notre Dame and No. 1 Pittsburgh in its next two games.