Saint Joseph's Hawks vs Villanova Wildcats Match Player Stats On Dec 08, 2018

Eric Paschall had 14 points and nine rebounds and Phil Booth added 12 points as No. 21 Villanova improved to 8-2 with a 70-58 win over visiting St. Joseph's on Saturday afternoon.

Lamarr Kimble had 22 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals, and Taylor Funk added 10 for the Hawks, who fell to 5-5 on the season.

The Wildcats withstood a late rally from St. Joseph's, which trailed 62-40 with 8:49 left on the clock but scored 16 straight to pressure Villanova. The Hawks never got closer than six but missed three field goals in the final two minutes and the Wildcats extended the lead back to double figures.

Villanova won its sixth straight since dropping back-to-back games against Michigan and Furman -- and scored its 25th consecutive Big 5 victory -- by dominating the Hawks defensively. Villanova held St. Joseph's to 35.1 percent shooting from the field and 23.1 percent from 3-point range, and the stagnant Hawks managed just nine assists.

The Wildcats struggled offensively, shooting 36.5 percent from the field, but they had 20 assists and the bench outscored St. Joseph's 31-10. Joe Cremo had 12 points and Jermaine Samuels had 11 points off the bench and reserve forward Cole Swider added eight.

The Hawks kept it close for much of the first half before a series of miscues gave Villanova momentum that it did not relinquish.

With a four-point lead and 42 seconds left in the half, Booth was fouled on a 3-point attempt by Troy Holston and made all three free throws, and after a Kimble missed 3-pointer, Paschall hit a 3-pointer to stretch the lead to 10 at the half.

Two of the Hawks' best scorers, Funk and Jared Bynum, who average 26 points combined on the season, combined for 7-of-23 shooting from the field.

--Field Level Media