National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Villanova 84, La Salle 70
When: 8:30 PM ET, Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Where: Tom Gola Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Officials: # Roger Ayers, # Les Jones, # Joe Lindsay
Attendance: 3400


No. 9 Villanova 84, La Salle 70: Dylan Ennis had 15 points and a career-high nine assists to propel the undefeated Wildcats to a road victory.

Darrun Hilliard II also had 15 points and made a pair of 3-pointers, while Ennis was 3-of-3 from behind the arc. JayVaughn Pinkston (12 points), Josh Hart (12) and Daniel Ochefu (10) rounded out the double-digit scorers for Villanova (7-0).

Jerell Wright was 6-of-8 from the field and 7-of-7 from the free-throw line en route to 19 points to pace the Explorers (4-3). Khalid Lewis chipped in 17 points, and Jordan Price had 10 points and five assists.

Hilliard's 12 first-half points fueled the Wildcats to a 47-29 lead at intermission as the team shot 58.1 percent from the field, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range, in the opening 20 minutes. The score was close at 14-13 before Hart's layup and Hilliard's jumper ignited a 10-1 run that ended with two more baskets by Hart.

Six straight points by the Explorers drew them within 51-40 about five minutes into the second half, but Ennis made a 3-pointer and Kris Jenkins converted a layup while La Salle went more than five minutes without a field goal. Pinkston made two foul shots with 6:09 left as the lead hit 20 for the first time, although La Salle came on strong late to make the final score a bit more respectable.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Led by Hart, the Wildcats' bench outscored the Explorers' reserves, 24-15. ... Villanova has won seven straight Big 5 games against its Philadelphia rivals. ... Ochefu had eight rebounds, and Pinkston grabbed seven to pace the Wildcats.
Top Game Performances
 
Villanova   La Salle
Dylan Ennis 15 Scoring Jerrell Wright 19
Dylan Ennis 9 Assists Jordan Price 5
Daniel Ochefu 8 Rebounds Jerrell Wright 5
Josh Hart 4 Free Throws Made Jerrell Wright 7
Darrun Hilliard 2 Steals Khalid Lewis 1
Phil Booth 1 Blocks Khalid Lewis 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Villanova 84 56.6 7-14 17-21 20 24 4 9 9
La Salle 70 43.5 4-15 26-30 13 20 3 4 13