VILLANOVA, PA-  After being blown out in their trip to Hawaii against #7 Oklahoma, Villanova returned home last night to face an old Big Five rival in La Salle. La Salle looked to upset the Wildcats in the Pavilion after losing two straight to Drexel and Hofstra.

Villanova set the tone early with tenacious defense. They held La Salle’s leading scorer Jordan Price to 3 for 10 shooting in the first half and were able to establish a 38-23 lead at the break.

In the second half, Villanova blew the game wide open with their shooting. They shot 8 for 16 from three and quickly established a 30 point lead.

Balanced scoring was the story for the Wildcats in their bounce back win. Four out of five starters scored in double figures.

Josh Hart lead the way with 18 points and 6 rebounds. Senior leader Ryan Arcidiacono scored 14 and tacked on 7 assists.

La Salle never could get it going offensively. They finished a paltry 32 percent from the field and shot under 50 percent from the foul line.

Villanova faces Virginia on the road this Saturday in a clash between two one seeds from last year’s tournament.   La Salle has a break and plays host to #17 Miami at home on December the 22nd.