Nov. 16, 2010

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VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) -Maalik Wayns scored 17 points and Dominic Cheek had 15 to lead No. 6 Villanova to an 84-47 victory over Marist on Tuesday night in the NIT Season Tip-Off.

Jay Bowie had 14 points for Marist (0-1), which extended Division I's longest losing streak to 19 games.

Villanova (2-0) had an easy time against the overmatched Red Foxes, who were 1-29 last season. The Wildcats have become NCAA tournament regulars under coach Jay Wright, and reached the Final Four two years ago. They have won 39 straight games at The Pavilion.

Villanova used a 19-1 run to take a 24-9 lead in the first half, and never looked back. Marist went 16 straight possessions without a field goal during that stretch. Wayns and Cheek each scored seven points during the run.

Marist pulled within 38-30 on a 3-pointer by Menelik Watson four minutes into the second half. But the Wildcats scored 12 in a row capped by a 4-point play by Wayns. He hit a 3 from the left wing, got fouled and made the free throw.

The Red Foxes didn't get closer than 16 the rest of the way.

Villanova was just 3 for 15 from 3-point range in the first half, but hit the first four from beyond the arc in the second half.

Corey Fisher didn't make a field goal until 10:30 remained in the game. He finished with 10 points on 1-of-5 shooting. Fisher is expected to assume the clutch scoring role held by All-America guard Scottie Reynolds.

But the highly regarded Wayns showed he's capable of picking the slack and even more when needed. The lightning-quick duo form one of the moist exciting backcourts in the nation.

Villanova played without freshman forward JayVaughn Pinkston after he was charged last week with two counts of simple assault and harassment. He was involved in an altercation that led to an assault report and will be held out of games until the university's review is completed.