Eric Dixon put up a game-high 18 points and contributed to a 17-2 scoring swing at the end of the first half that propelled host Villanova to a 78-63 victory over St. John’s on Wednesday night.
Villanova (7-5, 1-0 Big East) won its fifth straight game thanks to four double-digit scorers, including Brandon Slater’s 16 points and Jordan Longino’s and Caleb Daniels’ 13 apiece.
The Wildcats shot 47.5 percent on the night and made 16 of 17 foul shots, while St. John’s (11-2, 1-1) went just 3-for-6 from the line.
Joel Soriano earned his Division I-leading 11th double-double of the season with 17 points and 13 rebounds for St. John’s. AJ Storr added 15 points off the bench.
The Red Storm’s five starters each made a basket as the team began the game 5-for-7 from the floor. Longino hit a 3-pointer to push Villanova ahead 12-11, but a minute later Montez Mathis’ triple set off a 13-2 St. John’s run that also featured two 3-pointers from Storr.
Daniels and Longino made baskets on consecutive possessions to try to get Villanova up and running, but St. John’s scored the next five points to grab its largest lead, 29-18, with 6:16 left in the half.
Villanova’s 17-2 run began with Dixon’s short jumper at 5:42. During the final 2:30 of the half, the Wildcats made four shots in a row; Slater knocked down a 3-pointer to tie it at 31, and his layup 47 seconds later restored Villanova to the lead.
The Wildcats were up 35-31 at halftime, led by Dixon’s nine points. The Red Storm missed 14 of their last 16 shots of the half and had four turnovers down the stretch.
Dixon drained his second 3-pointer in the opening minute of the second half before Soriano got St. John’s on the board with free throws. Soriano scored the Red Storm’s first six points of the half as he attempted to keep his team in striking distance.
But Dixon’s three-point play at 15:42 gave Villanova its first double-digit lead, part of a torrid 10-for-14 shooting stretch as a team.
The Wildcats’ largest lead was 62-45 with 8:45 to go. Soriano and Andre Curbelo helped the Red Storm creep within 12 points before Slater banked in a 3-pointer to beat the shot clock with 33 seconds to play.
–Field Level Media
