Wildcat Wrap
 
Final Score: Villanova 83, LeMoyne 57
 
The Breakdown: An 8-0 spurt highlighted by five points and an assist from Mark Armstrong helped the 'Cats extricate themselves from an early 8-4 hole. The Dolphins used the 3-pointer to move back on top, 16-15, while Nova struggled to find the range from deep. Eleven of its first 15 attempts from the field were from beyond the arc and they drained only three.
 
A forced shot clock violation by Villanova helped key a 13-0 run that turned a 23-22 deficit into a 35-23 lead. The Wildcats finished the first half by converting 10-of-12 field goals to secure a 48-34 advantage over the Dolphins are intermission.
 
"I thought we had some wide-open shots early that we didn't make," stated Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune. "I thought we had wide open shots throughout the game. We've got a team that tries to get stops. Towards the back end of the first half, we got stops."
 
LeMoyne closed the gap to 50-40 early in the second half but the Dolphins would draw no closer. The Wildcats clamped down defensively over the final 12 minutes and got a lift from Brendan Hausen, who finished the night by converting 6-of-8 from beyond the arc, including four in the second half (18 points).
 
One Significant Story: Justin Moore helped kick start the Wildcats offense in the first 20 minutes. The native of Fort Washington, Md., tallied 16 points in 16 minutes to spark Nova over the final eight minutes of the half. He ended the evening with 21 points.
 
Double Dose: Graduate transfer Tyler Burton registered the first double-double of his Villanova tenure, contributing 10 points and collecting 13 caroms in 25:58 of action.
 
Plus Performers: A trio of Wildcats landed further down the scoring column but a measure of their impact could be found in the +/- column. Guards Armstrong and Hakim Hart were both +23 in their time on the court while Jordan Longino wasn't too far off that pace, finishing at +19. Armstrong ended the night with nine points, four assists and zero turnovers.
 
Notable: Part of what helped Villanova build its 14-point margin at halftime was its work on the glass. It out-rebounded the Dolphins 21-10 and held a 7-1 edge in second chance points. The final carom count saw the 'Cats with a 44-28 edge.
 
What They Said: "Any time you've got five guys who can legitimately drill 3's, which they do, that's scary," said Neptune. "Our guys did a good job of kind of weathering some storms. I thought our depth again was a factor."
 
"We've got a lot of experience on this team, a lot of older guys. But we've got guys who are playing together for the first time. Every minute we are out there together, building trust as a team is a positive for us."
 
TJ Bamba: "My main focus is just going out there, playing harder than our opponent. We're trying to prove to ourselves that we're the toughest group in the country. That's what we're trying to prove to ourselves, just outworking our opponent.
 
"Going into games, it's helped me stay confident. We've been doing it all preseason. It's just about playing hard."
 
Neptune on Hausen's night: "He's just a great shooter. When he gets it going he can really make shots. None of us are surprised by that. Where he is continuing to improve, especially since last year, is defensively."