Carried by a career-high 27 point performance from junior swingman Josh Hart, 11th-ranked Villanova overcame a slow start to blow out previously unbeaten Akron, 75-56.

Hart gave the Wildcats their first lead of the game at 34-31 with an and-one just before halftime and they didn’t look back there, ripping off a 27-5 run spanning across halftime to take a 20-point lead.

Villanova's second-leading scorer entering the game, Hart surpassed his previous career high of 21 points, set last season against Syracuse, on an and-one finish with just under 14 minutes remaining. He also ripped down nine rebounds, including three on the offensive end.

Senior point guard Ryan Arcidiacono contributed 15 points, eight assists, and no turnovers for Villanova.

Leading the charge for Akron was sophomore guard Antino Jackson with 11 points in the losing effort. The Zips came out hot from the field, hitting 10 of their first 17 field goal attempts, including three early triples from Jackson.

They then went ice cold to close the half, making just two of their final 13 attempts as Villanova pulled ahead.

The contest was part of the NIT Season Tip-Off. Villanova will now travel to New York for a matchup with the Stanford Cardinal at the Barclays Center.