Fisher, Wayns Lead 10th-Ranked Villanova To 78-59 Victory Over Delaware
December 18, 2010
Jamelle Hagins Photo by Chris Permar, Jawan Carter Photo by Mark Campbell
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- Corey Fisher scored 21 points while Maalik Wayns added 14 as 10th-ranked Villanova posted a 78-59 victory over the University of Delaware Saturday night at the Wells Fargo Center.
Corey Stokes added 10 points for the Wildcats, who improved to 9-1 on the season while winning their fourth straight game. Freshman James Bell, who entered the game with just four points on the year, also scored 10 points and was one of four Wildcats to grab a team-best five rebounds.
Delaware, which had its five-game winning streak snapped, dropped to 5-3 on the season. Jawan Carter (below right) led the Blue Hens with 14 points, recording his sixth consecutive double figure scoring game despite going just 2 of 11 from the field. Sophomore Jamelle Hagins (above left) had another big game for UD by scoring 12 points, grabbing eight rebounds and blocking a career-high seven shots.
Devon Saddler added nine points for the Blue Hens, while D.J. Boney and Josh Brinkley contributed six apiece. Delaware, which is now 0-26 against ranked teams in program history, has not defeated Villanova in nine all-time meetings.
Villanova opened the game by scoring the first seven points on jumpers by Moughtaou Yarou and Antonio Pena, followed by a Fisher three-pointer. After the slow start the Blue Hens would settle down, as three free throws by Carter and a baseline dunk by Kelvin McNeil cut the Wildcats lead to 13-9 at the 11:53 mark.
Delaware pulled within a point twice later in the period, but Bell's second three-pointer of the half extended the Villanova margin to 22-17 with 7:23 to play. A deep three-pointer by Boney brought UD within 24-20, but the Wildcats countered with six consecutive points to take their largest lead of the half at 30-20 with 2:43 on the clock.
Hagins scored twice inside late in the period, but the Blue Hens were still down 10 heading into the break at 34-24. Delaware converted just six field goals in the opening 20 minutes but stayed within striking distance by going 11 of 11 from the foul line.
A baseline jumper by Brinkley and a three-point play by Boney made it a 39-34 game with 14:35 left, but Villanova would take over during the next two minutes. Wayns and Fisher answered with three-pointers to spark a 14-0 Wildcat run that put Villanova up 53-34 with 12:18 remaining.
The Blue Hens would answer right back, as a three-point play by Saddler ignited a 9-0 Blue Hen spurt that pulled Delaware within 53-43 at the 10:14 mark and force a Villanova timeout.
UD closed to eight at 54-46 on a free throw by Alphonso Dawson, before a three-pointer by Wayns extended the Wildcat lead back to double figures. A free throw by McNeil brought Delaware within 59-49 with five minutes left, but Villanova scored the next seven points to pull away for good.
"It was a great game for us in terms of finding out where we are," said fifth-year UD head coach Monte Ross. "Give Villanova credit for taking us out of what we wanted to do offensively. Jamelle (Hagins) did a really good job tonight against a Big East front line, and he's continuing to progress."
Delaware shot just 33.3 percent from the field (18 of 54) including a 3 of 20 effort from behind the arc, but the Blue Hens helped themselves by finishing 20 of 23 from the charity stripe. Villanova shot 44.9 percent (22 of 49), and the Wildcats also shot well from the free throw line by hitting 28 of 35 attempts.
Delaware returns home on Wednesday to host Penn at the Bob Carpenter Center at 8:30 p.m.
