VILLANOVA, Pa. -- Josh Hart nearly single-handedly secured Villanova's four-peat.

Hart scored 26 points, including 18 in a dazzling performance in the second half, as No. 1 Villanova captured its fourth consecutive Big 5 title with a 78-57 victory over Temple on Tuesday night at The Pavilion.

Hart, Darryl Reynolds and Kris Jenkins have never lost a Big 5 game since joining the Wildcats four years ago. It was the 18th consecutive Big 5 win for Villanova, an incredible feat.

"It's having a lot of really good basketball players," Villanova head coach Jay Wright said of the Big 5 winning streak and four titles. "It's what every top program needs. We're very fortunate to have had these players."

Hart, who scored a career-best 37 points in a 74-66 win over No. 23 Notre Dame on Saturday in Newark, N.J., wound up 10 for 19 from the floor. The result was yet another Big 5 trophy.

"It's an honor, definitely humbling," Hart said. "Knowing the Big 5, the tradition, the great teams. ... It's something 10, 20, 30 years from now, we'll look back at. Now, there's no time to celebrate."

Jalen Brunson scored 13 points while Jenkins and Eric Paschall added 12 apiece for the Wildcats (11-0), who won their 17th in a row overall. Villanova won handily despite standout guard Phil Booth missing his eighth straight game with tendinitis in his left knee.

"We have great respect for Temple," Wright said. "We value that win."

Villanova remains one of six undefeated teams in Division I along with UCLA, Baylor, Gonzaga, Creighton and USC.

Shizz Alston Jr. led Temple (7-4) with 12 points while Daniel Dingle contributed 11 as the Owls finished 3-1 in the Big 5 this season.

"As a whole, we didn't make shots," Dingle said, referring to the team shooting 22 for 60. "Defensively, 'Nova did a great job. They were the tougher team and they got the win."

Temple guard Josh Brown struggled in the first half before finishing with six points, going 3 for 8 from the floor. It was only the fifth game for Brown in his return from an Achilles tendon injury in the offseason.

The Owls were facing the No. 1 team in the country for the 19th time in program history, falling to 2-17.

This time, the No. 1 team in the country was their Big 5 rival. Over the past four years, Villanova has continued to dominate Temple, Penn, Saint Joseph's and La Salle.

"It's what college basketball is all about," Temple head coach Fran Dunphy said of Villanova's dominance. "They have it going on. It's up to the rest of us to figure it out."

Hart made sure Temple wouldn't mount a comeback early in the second half. He knocked down three 3-pointers in a span of 2:19 as Villanova extended its lead to 49-31 with 13:26 remaining.

Hart then managed a conventional three-point play to give the Wildcats a 55-33 lead with 11:55 left.

"He just keeps making the right play and lets it all come to him with his defense," Wright said of Hart.

Villanova started the game 6 for 23 from the field but hit 14 of its next 18 shots for the commanding lead. The Wildcats scored nine straight points to surge ahead 20-8 before Temple responded with its own 8-0 run.

But like defending national championships do, Villanova scored the final nine points of the first half, with Hart's layup at the buzzer giving the Wildcats a 29-16 advantage.

Temple was 6 for 24 with 12 turnovers on 31 possessions. Brunson and Hart led Villanova with eight first-half points apiece.

NOTES: Temple is the last Big 5 team to defeat Villanova -- 76-61 on Dec. 5, 2012. ... Villanova recorded its 173rd consecutive sellout at The Pavilion. ... Despite the loss to Villanova, the Owls picked up a pair of wins over ranked opponents -- Florida State and West Virginia. It's the 10th straight season that they've beaten a ranked team. ... Former C Daniel Ochefu attended the game and received a standing ovation from a front row seat. In addition, former standout G Kyle Lowry also was in attendance. Lowry stars for the Toronto Raptors, who play the 76ers on Wednesday night in Philadelphia.