PHILADELPHIA, PA – On Wednesday, Nov. 19, Villanova men’s basketball kicked off Big 5 play with a 70-55 win over La Salle University on the road.

Villanova (4-1) is one step closer to a trip to the Big 5 Championship with its 10th consecutive win over La Salle (2-3). With the return of senior forward Tafara Gapare, it was the first injury-free game for Villanova’s main rotation, while La Salle was still without point guard Jaden Johnson and Truth Harris. Villanova shot 51.9% from the field and dished out 17 assists.

“We haven’t really been able to work a small lineup there because of injuries,” Villanova head coach Kevin Willard said. “I’m actually looking forward to having Matt [Hodge] and Tafara [Gapare] out there together. We looked a little disjointed, just because we haven’t worked on it.”

The Wildcats opened the game with a 9-0 run that quickly stretched to 13-4 to safely separate themselves from the Explorers for the remainder of regulation.

Redshirt freshman Matthew Hodge, with the help of a flawless first-half shooting performance, led the Wildcats in scoring with 17 points, shooting 7-for-9 from the field and 3-for-5 from beyond the arc.

“It’s amazing,” junior guard Tyler Perkins said when asked about Hodge’s growth. “I’m glad he’s able to finally play now. Wished he could’ve played last year, but it’s amazing to see him do what he does.”

Perkins put together his best performance of the season, totaling 13 points, three assists and five rebounds.

As the first half progressed, La Salle was able to cut Villanova’s lead down to three points. The Wildcats were able to pull away with the help of Hodge and freshman guard Acaden Lewis, who finished with 12 points and six assists.

Villanova entered halftime with a 37-28 lead over La Salle, while holding its leading scorer, Jaeden Harris, to just two points off free throws. Entering the game, Harris averaged 15.3 points per contest.

La Salle was led by junior guard Eric Acker’s 17 points and three assists.

Senior Duke Brennan collected a team-high 13 rebounds, marking double-digit rebounds for the forward in every game this season. However, he went down with an ankle injury in the second half. After attempting to return, Brennan returned to the bench and eventually went to the locker room.

In the second half, Villanova leaned on its ball movement to create open looks in the paint and around the arc. The Wildcats and the Explorers traded points on opposite ends of the court, and despite La Salle’s 9-2 run to close the game, Villanova’s lead never shrank.

Villanova shot 5-for-12 on three-pointers in the second half, but was held to eight total three-pointers by La Salle’s defense.

Willard rotated a small lineup that included Hodge and Gapare when La Salle opted for size, playing junior seven-footer Bowyn Beatty at times.

“I think it gives us a chance against teams like this,” Willard said. “We’re a little bit smaller, doing a lot of switching would kind of give us opportunities to match up with them at times. We got Michigan, Wisconsin, UConn, St. John’s, so then throughout the game and maybe throw a curve ball at him offensively or defensively, I think it really helps.”

Villanova is now 1-0 in Pod 1 Big 5 play. The winner of Villanova vs. Temple on Dec. 1 will play in the championship game of the Big 5 Classic triple-header on Dec. 6 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena (formerly known as the Wells Fargo Center).

Villanova will now have six days until it hosts Old Dominion (2-3) at the Finneran Pavilion on Tuesday, Nov. 25. It is the third time in program history the two teams will face off, with the series being split, 1-1. Villanova won the last contest, 89-81, on March 17, 1995.