RECAP: Villanova Wildcats Beat Fairleigh Dickinson, 91-54
VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) - Daniel Ochefu scored 16 points, freshman Jalen Brunson added 12 points and four assists and No. 11 Villanova opened with a 91-54 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson on Friday night.
Kris Jenkins had 14 points, and Ryan Arcidiacono added 12 for the Wildcats, who scored the first nine points and never were threatened.
Darian Anderson scored 21 points for the Knights.
Brunson, from Lincolnshire, Illinois, took over the starting point guard spot from Arcidiacono, who is the reigning co-Big East Player of the Year. Brunson showed why coach Jay Wright put the freshman in the starting lineup, displaying deft passing, excellent long-range shooting and an ability to finish from close range. He was 4 of 6 from the field, including 2 for 4 from 3-point range.
Brunson had a team-high nine first-half points to lead the Wildcats in a dominant opening 20 minutes. Brunson's floating layup with two seconds remaining before intermission gave Villanova its biggest lead, 50-22.
The Wildcats cruised in the second half and led by 41 points on Jenkins' 3-pointer that made it 80-39 with 7:24 remaining. Villanova's advantage grew to as many as 44 points after halftime.
Villanova made it 27 straight victories at the Pavilion, its on-campus home.
The Wildcats also won their 31st consecutive game when scoring 70 or more points. They were 25-0 last season when reaching 70.
TIP-INS
FDU: Anderson, a sophomore guard, is the younger brother of former Villanova standout Dwayne Anderson, who helped lead the Wildcats to the 2009 Final Four. ... Dwayne Lee, who helped nearby St. Joseph's reach No. 1 in the AP poll on its way to reaching the Elite Eight in 2004, is an assistant coach. ... The Knights were 8-21 last season.
Villanova: Brunson's dad, Rick, who played collegiately at nearby Temple, was in attendance. ... Sitting next to each other courtside were former Villanova greats Kerry Kittles and Alvin Williams. ... The Wildcats have been ranked in the AP Top 25 for 36 straight weeks, dating to December 2013. ... Villanova improved to 4-0 in the series and 14-1 in season openers under Wright. ... Friday's game was the first of 13 regular-season contests at the Pavilion. Villanova also uses the Wells Fargo Center, home of the Philadelphia 76ers, for some home games.
UP NEXT
Villanova hosts Nebraska on Tuesday night in the inaugural Gavitt Tipoff Games.
FDU hosts FDU-Florham on Monday night.
(© Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
