New for the 2025-26 academic year, Villanova will announce its top performers from the previous week in a press release and social media post each Monday afternoon. The weekly wrap will recognize one standout student-athlete from each sport who competed during the previous week.
  
VILLANOVA, Pa.—There was a championship feel to the week that was for Villanova Athletics, as the football team advanced to the FCS playoff quarterfinal round with its 10^th straight victory while the men's and women's basketball teams each claimed tournament title honors in the Big 5 Classic. Elsewhere, the men's and women's track & field teams opened their indoor seasons with big performances on a national stage while the men's and women's cross country teams each had athletes competing in the U20 men's and women's races at the USATF Cross Country Championships. In the pool, two Wildcats made their way to Texas for the Toyota U.S. Open. Athletes from each of those teams make up this week's Villanova Athletics Weekly Wrap.
 
Men's Basketball
Duke Brennan, Senior, Forward, Chandler, Ariz.
 
Brennan was named the MVP of the Big 5 Classic after the Wildcats defeated Penn, 90-63, in the championship game on Saturday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. He notched his third double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds in the championship and added to that stat line with 7-of-10 shooting from the field, two assists, two blocks and three steals. Earlier in the week, Brenndan had 14 points and eight rebounds on 6-of-10 shooting in a 74-56 victory over Temple which lifted Villanova into the championship game for the first time in three years of the current Big 5 championship format. Brennan averaged 14.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game while shooting 65 percent from the field in the two games last week.
 
Women's Basketball
Brynn McCurry, Junior, Forward, Sparta, N.J.
 
McCurry had 21 points and five rebounds in the Big 5 Classic championship game to help Villanova defeat Saint Joseph's, 76-70, and win its first tournament title in the current format of the Big 5 championship. She was a perfect 3-of-3 from three-point range and 6-of-6 at the free throw line in the win. It was a busy week for the Wildcats with three games on the schedule, and McCurry reached the 20-point milestone in all three games against No. 25 West Virginia, Georgetown and Saint Joseph's. She had 21 points and nine rebounds against the Mountaineers as Villanova picked up its first ranked win of the season, then had 20 points, seven rebounds and three steals versus the Hoyas in the BIG EAST opener. McCurry averaged 20.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game during the week while shooting 62 percent (21-of-34) from the field.
 
Men's Cross Country
Ryan Schmitt, First Year, Holmdel, N.J.
 
Schmitt's first race of the season came at the USATF Cross Country Championships in Portland, Ore. where he competed in the U20 Men's race at Glendoveer Golf Course. He recorded a time of 26:32.9 over 8,000 meters and finished in the top third of the field with a 16^th place result.
  
Women's Cross Country
Maeve Smith, First Year, Ocean City, N.J.
 
Smith capped off a strong collegiate debut season by running in the U20 Women's race at the USATF Cross Country Championships over the weekend. She came in seventh out of 28 runners with a time of 22:52.8 over 6,000 meters at Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland, Ore. During the collegiate season, Smith made five starts and was part of the Villanova lineup at the BIG EAST Championships and the NCAA Championships.
 
Football
Braden Reed, First Year, Wide Receiver, Pottstown, Pa.
 
Reed caught the game-winning touchdown with 2:56 to play in a 14-7 victory over Lehigh in the second round of the FCS playoffs. The win was the 10^th in a row for the Wildcats and advanced Villanova to a quarterfinal matchup this week at Tarleton State. Reed's go-ahead touchdown was a 28-yard reception, and he finished the game with three catches for 70 yards.
 
Men's Swimming & Diving
Justin Nowicki, Junior, IM/Free, Victor, N.Y.

Nowicki was one of two Wildcats to head to Austin, Texas over the weekend to compete in the Toyota US Open Championships. He swam in three Long Course Meter races, making the B Final is both the 400 IM and 200 Fly where we finished in 14th (4:25.07) and 16th (2:03.17) overall, respectively. His 2:04.99 in the 200 IM prelims were good enough for a new personal best.

Women's Swimming & Diving
Anna Kilponen, Freshman, Fly/Sprint Free, Kinnelon, N.J.

Kilponen joined Nowicki at the US Open Championships, taking part in two events. She made the C Finals in the 100 Fly, finishing 21st overall with a time of 1:01.36 and 24th in the 50 Fly at 28.02.

Men's Track & Field
Marco Langon, Senior, Distance, Raritan, N.J.
 
In his first race since July, Langon set a new Villanova record in the 5,000 meters with a time of 13:05.21 at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener in Boston. He now holds four of the five fastest times in the 5K in school history, while his new PR and school record is No. 7 on the all-time collegiate indoor list.
 
Women's Track & Field
Nikki Vanasse, Graduate, Distance, Martinsville, N.J.
 
Vanasse ran her first track race in a Villanova singlet and recorded a PR in the 3,000 meters at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener in Boston this past weekend. She posted a time of 9:13.28 and was the eighth-fastest runner out of 100 entries in the seeded section of the meet.
  

  
Villanova Athletics Scoreboard
December 1-7
 
Monday, December 1
 
Men's Basketball: Villanova 74, Temple 56
Women's Basketball: Villanova 81, No. 25 West Virginia 59
 
Thursday, December 4
 
Women's Basketball: Villanova 76, Georgetown 69
Swimming & Diving: Toyota US Open Championships (no team scoring)
 
Friday, December 5

Swimming & Diving: Toyota US Open Championships (no team scoring)

Saturday, December 6
 
Football: Villanova 14, No. 4 Lehigh 7 (FCS Playoffs – Second Round)
Men's Basketball: Villanova 90, Penn 63 (Big 5 Classic – Championship Game)
Men's Track & Field: Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener (no team scoring)
Men's Track & Field: Penn Opener (no team scoring)
Women's Track & Field: Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener (no team scoring)
Women's Track & Field: Penn Opener (no team scoring)
Men's Cross Country: USATF Championships (U20 Men's – Ryan Schmitt, 16^th)
Women's Cross Country: USATF Championships (U20 Women's – Maeve Smith, 7^th)
Swimming & Diving: Toyota US Open Championships (no team scoring)
 
Sunday, December 7
 
Women's Basketball: Villanova 76, Saint Joseph's 70 (Big 5 Classic – Championship Game)
  
This Week's Schedule
December 8-14
 
Tuesday, December 9
 
6:30 PM: Men's Basketball at No. 3 Michigan
 
Saturday, December 13
 
4:30 PM: Men's Basketball vs. Pittsburgh
 
12:00 PM ET (11:00 AM CT): Football at No. 5 Tarleton State (FCS Playoffs – Quarterfinal)
8:30 AM: Men's Swimming at Collegiate 5K National Championship (Sarasota, Fla.)
10:30 AM: Women's Swimming at Collegiate 5K National Championship (Sarasota, Fla.)