Villanova vs. St. Joseph’s 2017 final score: Wildcats continue Big 5 winning streak

The Holy War has left some holy-level carnage. In an offensively explosive display, Villanova blasted past Saint Joseph’s 94-53 for their 20th consecutive win in a Big 5 game.

To St. Joe’s credit, the game’s first half was evenly battled. The Hawks had a decided answer for nearly every ‘Nova play, and maintained the pace with the Wildcats for a solid stretch. Fighting through single possession leads, St. Joe’s remained on Villanova’s tail, shooting 3s and even out-rebounding the Main Line visitors. However, a sprinkle of Omari Spellman three-pointers helped catapult ‘Nova to a 12-0 run into halftime and, simply put, the Wildcats did not look back.

Taking total control of the game, Villanova opened the second half with a 14-2 run and continued to dominate offensively. While Phil Booth lead ‘Nova during its gritty opening, Mikal Bridges took over to direct the Wildcats into the splash zone. Scoring a team-high of 18 points and nine rebound, Bridges flaunted his much-discussed NBA desirability with coolly executed shots.

Villanova’s 41-point victory over St. Joe’s is the largest in series history between the schools, and Wildcats’ 19 three-pointers marks a school record for road game threes. Highlighting how Villanova’s three-point shooting was particularly effective tonight, the Wildcats completed 54.3% of 3FGs compared to 50.8% of field goals overall. Despite the Hawks’ early offensive efforts, St. Joe’s ended the game shooting 32.8% of their field goals, and 20.8% 3FGs. Additionally, ‘Nova out-rebounded the Hawks 52-28.

The Wildcats move on to face Gonzaga this Tuesday, December 5th in New York.