December 1, 1998

Box Score

By KEN BERGER
AP Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Howard Brown had 15 points, shaking off a flagrant foul by N'aim Crenshaw of St. Joseph's in the closing minutes, as Villanova beat the Hawks 61-49 Tuesday night.

With the game between city rivals all but decided, Brown took a pass from Bobby Smith and soared in for a layup with 82 seconds left. Crenshaw, who led St. Joe's with 17 points, clothes-lined Brown with a vicious forearm.

Brown hit the floor hard, and Wildcats coach Steve Lappas went ballistic, calling for Crenshaw to be ejected. He wasn't, and Brown hit his free throw to make it 61-47.

Brown and Crenshaw bumped a few times and trash-talked, but no more fouls were committed in a poorly played Big 5 game that kept the sellout crowd of 8,722 at the Palestra as quiet as it's been in years.

St. Joe's (0-2) shot 33 percent from the field after hitting only 28 percent of its shots in a season-opening 66-55 loss to Tulsa. The Hawks didn't attempt their first foul shot until nearly eight minutes into the second half.

Rafal Bigus scored 12 for Villanova (6-0), and Brooks Sales - brother of former Connecticut player Nykesha Sales - had 10.

Andre Howard had 10 for St. Joe's, which lost to the Wildcats for the fifth time in seven tries in the bitter rivalry. It was Villanova's first visit to the Palestra since a 60-57 loss to the Hawks in 1994.

It wasn't the right night to play such poor hoops. At halftime, five new members were inducted into Philadelphia's Big 5 Hall of Fame - Katie Curry and New Jersey Nets general manager John Nash of St. Joe's, Jenn Cole and Jack Hurd of La Salle and Penn's Tim Smith.