Aug. 20, 2001
PORTO SAN GIORGIO, Italy - It is one of the oldest adages in sport and on Monday night here it proved true for the Villanova Wildcats.
Defense wins.
Sparked by a superior effort at the defensive end of the court, the Wildcats pulled away from the Italian National Team in the second half en route to a 67-46 win in the third game of their summer tour of Italy.
Villanova held Italy to 28 percent shooting on the evening and 20 percent accuracy from behind the 3-point line. The Wildcats also dominated the glass, outrebounding Italy 40-23.
The 'Cats improved to 2-1 on their five-game jaunt through Italy.
"I was very happy with how our team has improved with each game we have played," said head coach Jay Wright. "We got a great team defensive effort and beat a very talented Italian team tonight."
Italy jumped out to a 9-4 advantage in the game's first five minutes. But Villanova's defense kept the game close while the offense got untracked. Junior forward Ricky Wright scored six first quarter points and helped Villanova erase the deficit and build a 16-12 edge at the end of the first period.
The second quarter saw the Wildcats build a 10-point advantage before a late rally from Italy cut the margin to 31-27 at intermission. The second half, though, belonged to Villanova.
Sophomore guard Derrick Snowden hit a pair of 3-point field goals and the defense kept Italy in the deep freeze. Villanova held a 52-42 edge at the end of the third quarter. A pair of Gary Buchanan triples and one from Andreas Bloch helped VU glide to the 67-46 final score.
Snowden led the 'Cats in scoring with 17 points while Buchanan added 14. Senior center Brooks Sales posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Villanova travels to another coastal city when it heads to Rimini for games on Tuesday and Wednesday. The trip then concludes with three days of sightseeing in Rome before the squad returns to Villanova on Aug. 26.
NOTES: Snowden has led Villanova in scoring in each of the three games played here and is averaging 17 ppg, tops on the team ... Sullivan and Buchanan combined on the night's most entertaining play when Buchanan fed Sullivan for a slam dunk late in the fourth quarter ... Villanova and Italy completed the tournament with 1-1 records. The professional team, Palacanestro Trieste defeated Cleveland State to finish 2-0. The Vikings dropped both contests here ... Coach Rollie Massimino's club continues on its 14 day, 7-game trip tomorrow... Villanova's starting frontline of Sullivan, Wright and Sales combined for 25 rebounds while Buchanan also added seven boards ... Reggie Bryant scored eight points before fouling out with 7:21 remaining in the fourth quarter ... Villanova was six of nine from beyond the 3-point arc (.667) ... Snowden is perfect from beyond the arc in the last two games (6-of-6, including three against the Italian national team).
