Villanova's Omari Spellman Had A Career-High 27 Points Against Temple
MBB Minute – Villanova Wins at Temple in First Game as No. 1
In its first game this season as the nation’s No. 1 ranked team, Villanova showed its prowess by winning 87-67 at Temple on Wednesday to improve to 11-0. Jalen Brunson and Omari Spellman each notched career scoring highs.
Brunson scored 22 of his 31 points in the first half when the Wildcats put together a 46-29 lead by halftime. His stat line at the final buzzer was 31 points on 11-of-16 shooting, 6-of-10 from beyond the arc, six rebounds, five assists and no turnovers in 38 minutes. Spellman shot 11-of-14 from the field, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range, and grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.
BIG EAST teams have been running hot of late. League squads have won 40 of the last 45 games overall (.889). For the season, the BIG EAST non-conference record is 80-18 (.816), the best mark since 1988-89 (113-23, .831).
The BIG EAST is dark until a single game Friday night – Creighton at home against Md.-Eastern Shore. The Bluejays (7-2) are averaging 98.0 points this season at CenturyLink Center.
Saturday’s slate includes four rivalry games. No. 15 Seton Hall drives down the N.J. Turnpike to take on Rutgers at noon ET on BTN. The Pirates (9-1) have won the last four games in the series, including a 72-61 triumph last year.
Also at noon, Butler meets No. 12 Purdue in the Crossroads Classic in Indianapolis, Ind. FOX will televise. Five is the number for the Bulldogs going into the game. They have won five in a row, have taken the last five games against Purdue and have a 5-1 record in the Crossroads Classic.
At 12:30 p.m. on CBS, Georgetown and Syracuse, arguably the most storied BIG EAST rivalry when Syracuse was a league member, meet at Capital One Arena. The Hoyas (8-0) are one of six undefeated teams in the country. Georgetown has won the last two meetings, including a 78-71 decision last year in the Carrier Dome.
At 2 p.m. on FS1, DePaul hosts local foe Northwestern at Wintrust Arena. The Blue Demons (6-4) have won five in a row. Also at 2 p.m., No. 10 Xavier (9-1) puts its four-game winning streak on the line against visiting East Tennessee State on FSN.