Akron vs. Villanova, 2015 Preseason NIT Tip-Off final score: 'Cats withstand battle with Zips

The Villanova Wildcats made it 33 for their last 33 on Sunday with their 75-56 victory over the Akron Zips of the MAC.

The 'Cats were benefited from a career day by guard Josh Hart. Hart scored 27 points, six points higher than his career-high 21 that he posted against Syracuse last December. Hart shot 11-for-21 from the field and went 2-for-2 from the line.

'Nova was benefited by a very sparse turnover game, only committing five throughout the contest to Akron's 14. 'Nova held serve on an advantage on the boards, 44-38, 29-25 defensive, and 15-13 offensive.

Here's what we learned from this game:

1. Akron is certainly a very good team.

Will Villanova face a better opponent than Akron in New York? It's certainly time to wonder. The Zips gave the Wildcats about all they could handle in the first half, leading for much of the 20-minute period before things slipped away for them late. They were hot from the 3-point line and could be a threat in the MAC this year to test the Central Michigan Chippewas, the defending champions of the conference.

2. The Wildcats' advantage on the boards reared its head.

In the pregame discussion, we talked about how 'Nova had a tangible advantage in the rebounding department over the Akron Zips. At the conclusion of the game, that proved to be true as Villanova wound up grabbing more boards in each category - total, offensive and defensive - than their adversaries. The 'Cats' continued successes on the boards is only making them more formidable, and we can expect that to continue for a while.

3. Villanova got to "Scottie Pippen"

As previously mentioned,Villanova is now 33 for their last 33 at The Pavilion. This impressive streak that has lasted since the 2012-13 season marched on with another blowout win on Sunday night. Villanova won't return home until their matchup against La Salle on December 13, with the Preseason NIT Tip-Off matchups looming against Stanford, a game at St. Joseph's, and a matchup against Oklahoma in Hawaii on their way. When that game tips off, the objective then becomes hitting "Hakeem Olajuwon."