Wildcat Wrap
 
Final Score: Wildcats 79, Memphis 63
 
D Delivered Early: The Wildcats limited Memphis to 1-of-10 shooting from the field in the game's first six minutes, providing the fuel to a 16-2 lead. Nova also drained 5-of-8 from beyond the arc in the opening stretch.
 
At the other end of the court, crisp ball movement helped the Wildcats' offense find open looks from beyond the arc. Villanova sank 6-of-9 from deep in the opening 8:51 to build a 19-5 advantage over the Tigers. All six of the Wildcats field goals over the first nine minutes came from distance.
 
Perhaps most impressive at the offensive end was that six Wildcats scored over the first 12:10 and produced eight assists on its first eight field goals. VU held a 23-8 lead at the U8 break in the first half.
 
The defense remained the main story for the rest of the period. By halftime, the Tigers were just 4-of-27 from the field (.148), including 1-of-12 (.008) from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the 'Cats leaned on a balanced offense led by three of its newcomers: Tyler Burton (nine points), TJ Bamba (eight points) and Hakim Hart (seven points).
 
At halftime, Villanova led Memphis 44-18.
 
"I really thought we came out and set the tone," stated Wildcats head coach Kyle Neptune. "I was really proud of our guys, especially the first 10 minutes or so."
 
Second Thoughts: In contrast to their sizzling start to the first half, the Wildcats misfired on their first five attempts from distance over the first 4:02 of the second half. But they held Memphis to four points in that span to hold a 49-20 edge.
 
Three pointers on consecutive possessions by Justin Moore helped Villanova push its lead back up to 59-27 with 11:14 on the second half clock.
 
The Tigers, however, used a 24-3 burst over 5:28 to close the margin to 67-53 with just over four minutes remaining. Dixon and Moore returned to the floor for the 'Cats and the senior forward promptly scored on a drive to the goal and was fouled at the 4:01 mark to push the lead up to 69-53.
 
Most Valuable Player: Dixon was named the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis MVP after averaging 21.6 points and 8.0 rebounds per outing across the three contests played on Paradise Island.
 
Moore joined Dixon on the All-Tournament team.
 
What They Said: "We always have a growth mindset," noted Neptune, when asked how the team has bounced back with four consecutive victories after its lone loss thus far, at Penn on Nov. 13. "I thought we got a lot better defensively, especially these last three games. That's always been our mindset.
 
"We learned a lot about our team here. We were tested and were resilient. We were in some battles. That's what you want. You want to be tested. That's a big thing for a team. We're glad it ended up the way it did."
 
Said Moore: "I'm just proud of my guys and the coaches. We stuck together. We put a lot of work in each and every day. Just us grinding and coming together is what I'm proud of."
 
One Significant Story: Villanova augmented its defensive effort with balanced scoring. TJ Bamba led the way with 13 points while Dixon, Moore, Tyler Burton added 11 points and Mark Armstrong 10 points. In all, nine Wildcats scored in this one.
 
The Wildcats also dished out 14 assists on 26 field goals with Jordan Longino setting the pace in that category with five helpers.
 
Perfect in Paradise: With the win and their third Battle 4 Atlantis title in as many visits to Paradise Island, the Wildcats improved to 9-0 all-time in the Bahamas.