National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Villanova 98, Creighton 78
When: 6:30 PM ET, Thursday, February 1, 2018
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Officials: # Brian O'Connell, # Ron Grover, # Mike Roberts
Attendance: 10225
Mikal Bridges scored 21 points, Jalen Brunson added 19 and No. 1-ranked Villanova defeated Creighton 98-78 Thursday at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

Donte DiVincenzo contributed 17 and Omari Spellman had 14 for the Wildcats (21-1, 8-1 Big East). Eric Paschall had 11 points and a game-high eight rebounds.

The Wildcats tied a program record with 19 made 3-pointers. They attempted 39 shots from beyond the arc. Villanova shot 37 of 68 (54.4 percent) from the floor overall.

Villanova, the No. 1 team in the country for the fourth consecutive week, opened its four-game homestand with yet another victory. The Wildcats keep winning despite the absence of guard Phil Booth, who is out indefinitely due to a fractured bone in his right hand.

The Wildcats have taken 17 of the 19 all-time meetings against Creighton, including eight in a row.

Marcus Foster led Creighton (17-6, 7-4) with 20 points while Kaleb Joseph and Khyri Thomas added 12 apiece. The Bluejays had won consecutive games over St. John's and Georgetown in the past week.

Bridges knocked down a 3-pointer, the Wildcats' 13th of the game, for a 59-43 advantage early in the second half.

Villanova's Collin Gillespie later hit a deep 3-pointer from the wing for a 64-48 lead with 14:01 remaining.

It was more than enough of a cushion in another blowout win for the Wildcats. Even walk-on Matt Kennedy hit a late basket, drawing a loud ovation from the home crowd.

Brunson and Bridges combined for 29 points on 11-of-17 shooting as the Wildcats raced to a 49-34 halftime lead.

Villanova shot 19 of 32 before the break, including a sizzling 10 of 18 from beyond the arc. The Wildcats registered 13 first-half assists on the 19 made field goals and committed only three turnovers.

No Creighton player was able to reach double figures before halftime.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Creighton   Villanova
Marcus Foster 20 Scoring Mikal Bridges 21
Davion Mintz 7 Assists Donte DiVincenzo 5
Mitch Ballock 4 Rebounds Eric Paschall 8
Kaleb Joseph 8 Free Throws Made Mikal Bridges 2
Marcus Foster 3 Steals Donte DiVincenzo 2
Ty-Shon Alexander 1 Blocks Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Creighton 78 49.0 6-18 22-24 14 23 2 4 8
Villanova 98 54.4 19-39 5-6 19 32 2 4 6