Nov. 12, 2003
Final Stats
VILLANOVA, PA. - On Wednesday night, Nov. 12, the Villanova Men's Basketball team opened the 2003-04 season with an exhibition game against the Hoop Group at the Pavilion. The 'Cats, featuring a young and athletic roster, came out running early on their way to an 88-81 win.
'Nova jumped out to a 28-6 lead after the game's first 11 minutes, with the defense leading to easy baskets in transition. The main beneficiaries were sophomores Randy Foye and Curtis Sumpter. Foye scored 12 points in the opening surge, with Sumpter pouring in 10 of his team-high 26.
The Wildcats connected on 13 of their first 19 shots and finished the night at 54.4 percent. But a few mistakes enabled the Hoop Group to get back into the game.
"We looked like I feared we might look," said third-year head coach Jay Wright. "We are a young, energetic and exciting team. But we are also sloppy, and it's something we have to work on, both offensively and defensively."
Villanova took a 40-27 lead into the intermission, but the Hoop Group took advantage of every opportunity in the second half. They cut the lead to four on a three-pointer by Harold Arcenaux with 1:13 to go.
The 'Cats scored six of the game's final nine points to secure the victory.
Villanova was led by Sumpter's 12-for 15 effort, which included a perfect 2-for-2 beyond the arc and a game-high 14 rebounds. Allan Ray added 22, and Foye finished with 16.
Villanova fans got their first look at a pair of freshmen, guard Mike Nardi (Linden, N.J./St. Patrick's) and forward Will Sheridan (Bear, Del./Sanford School). Nardi scored eight points and dished out a game-high 11 assists, with Sheridan chipping in five points and four rebounds.
Sophomore center Chris Charles turned in a productive 28 minutes, scoring six points to go along with 10 rebounds and three blocked shots.
The Hoop Group featured a few familiar faces, including Connecticut's Tony Robertson, Seton Hall's Greg Morton and Penn's Andy Toole. Mike Campbell led all scorers with 34 points, including eight three's.
Villanova will open the regular season on Friday, Nov. 21 at 12:01 a.m. against Big Five rival Temple at the Liacouras Center.
