VILLANOVA, Pa. – A day shy of three weeks since Villanova suffered its first BIG EAST loss of 2020-21, the No. 8 ranked Wildcats confronted the squad that handed them that defeat, the St. John's Red Storm Tuesday night at Finneran Pavilion. This time, Nova turned an early lead into a convincing 81-58 victory over the Red Storm.
 
Junior Caleb Daniels led a balanced Villanova attack with 17 points. Bob Cousy Award finalist Collin Gillespie scored 10 of his 14 points in the early minutes of the contest to help Villanova get off on the right foot.
 
For the second straight outing, Villanova's defense clamped down on a BIG EAST foe. Days after holding UConn to 60 points and 36 percent shooting in a win Saturday, the 'Cats contained St. John's to the tune of .362 shooting, including 3-of-23 from beyond the 3-point arc (.130).
 
"We were really clicking tonight," stated Villanova head coach Jay Wright. "When we played them up there, they were really clicking."
 
As it did in the first meeting between these teams earlier this month, the Wildcats got the upper hand in the game's early minutes. A pair of 3-pointers, one each by Daniels and Gillespie, helped Nova build a 10-4 edge after 4:02 of action.
 
A Gillespie feed led to a 3-pointer at the top of the circle from Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to push the Nova advantage to 20-9. The Wildcats then got a lift from reserve Bryan Antoine, whose acrobatic steal led to a Brandon Slater dunk at the other end. With 7:54 to play in the first half, Villanova held a 31-17 lead over the Red Storm (14-10 overall, 8-9 BIG EAST).
 
"Collin is our heart and soul, our engine," stated Wright. "To see him come out like that, so tough and aggressive, is what college athletics is all about. He had a tough game against them last time. They did a great job on him. And he comes back with great confidence tonight, not trying to do it all on his own, getting other people shots, making the right plays.
 
"It's the sign of a great leader."
 
Gillespie's second foul sent him to the bench, but the Wildcats held firm in his absence. In fact, they extended their lead on the strength of a robust defensive effort that included stretches of a 2-3 zone. Another 3-pointer by Daniels helped Villanova craft a 42-25 lead at halftime.
 
The Red Storm were held to 9-of-31 shooting from the field in the period (.290), including 2-of-13 from long range (.150) and committed eight turnovers. Villanova, meanwhile, was 16-of-32 from the field in a balanced attack led by Gillespie and Robinson-Earl (nine points).
 
"Our defense is getting better," Wright said.
 
Jermaine Samuels helped the Wildcats get off to a sure start in the early minutes of the second half as he scored seven early points. Villanova's defense continued to exert pressure on the Red Storm and this allowed the 'Cats to overcome turnovers forced by the BIG EAST leader in that department. A Cole Swider 3-pointer off of crisp ball movement after a Samuels' offensive rebound kept the possession alive, gave Nova a 56-34 lead at the 11:52 mark of the second half.
 
St. John's never was able to muster a rally after that. Villanova got further support from Swider, Slater and Antoine in helping to secure the victory.
 
"We just had to get back to playing Villanova Basketball," said Gillespie when asked about the prior meeting, a 70-59 loss on Feb. 3, and this game. "Just focusing on defending and rebounding. This was our most important game because it was our next game. It wasn't because this was St. John's or payback or anything like that.
 
"We respect them. They're very physical and very tough. This was a great test for us."
 
Next up for the Wildcats (15-3 overall, 10-2 BIG EAST) is a visit to historic Hinkle Fieldhouse as they get set for a Sunday clash with Butler. Tipoff is set for just after 12 p.m. in Indianapolis (CBS and 95.7 Ben FM Radio).