National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Villanova 75, Akron 56
When: 4:30 PM ET, Sunday, November 22, 2015
Where: The Pavilion, Villanova, Pennsylvania
Officials: # Anthony Franklin, # Matt Potter, # Ed Corbet (JR)
Attendance: 6500

Carried by a career-high 27 point performance from junior swingman Josh Hart, 11th-ranked Villanova overcame a slow start to blow out previously unbeaten Akron, 75-56.

Hart gave the Wildcats their first lead of the game at 34-31 with an and-one just before halftime and they didn’t look back there, ripping off a 27-5 run spanning across halftime to take a 20-point lead.

Villanova's second-leading scorer entering the game, Hart surpassed his previous career high of 21 points, set last season against Syracuse, on an and-one finish with just under 14 minutes remaining. He also ripped down nine rebounds, including three on the offensive end.

Senior point guard Ryan Arcidiacono contributed 15 points, eight assists, and no turnovers for Villanova.

Leading the charge for Akron was sophomore guard Antino Jackson with 11 points in the losing effort. The Zips came out hot from the field, hitting 10 of their first 17 field goal attempts, including three early triples from Jackson.

They then went ice cold to close the half, making just two of their final 13 attempts as Villanova pulled ahead.

The contest was part of the NIT Season Tip-Off. Villanova will now travel to New York for a matchup with the Stanford Cardinal at the Barclays Center.
Top Game Performances
 
Akron   Villanova
Antino Jackson 13 Scoring Josh Hart 27
Kwan Cheatham Jr. 2 Assists Ryan Arcidiacono 8
Isaiah Johnson 8 Rebounds Josh Hart 9
Antino Jackson 2 Free Throws Made Ryan Arcidiacono 5
Antino Jackson 2 Steals Mikal Bridges 3
Pat Forsythe 2 Blocks Phil Booth 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Akron 56 35.6 11-33 3-10 12 34 2 5 15
Villanova 75 40.3 9-28 12-16 19 41 3 9 6