Villanova 82, West Virginia 75: Wildcats Bounce Back, Led By Scottie Reynolds

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Morgantown, WV (Sports Network) - Scottie Reynolds scored 19 of his 21 points in the second half, as No. 4 Villanova handed fifth-ranked West Virginia an 82-75 defeat in a Big East showdown at WVU Coliseum.

The Wildcats (21-2, 10-1 Big East) rebounded from a 103-90 drubbing at Georgetown on Saturday -- their first setback in conference play -- by shooting 56.9 percent from the floor and 19-of-22 from the foul line.

Reynolds made all 10 of his free throw attempts and handed out five assists for Villanova, which received a 17-point effort from Corey Fisher.

Antonio Pena chipped in 10 points and nine rebounds in helping to snap West Virginia’s (19-4, 8-3) six-game win streak.

Darryl Bryant netted 15 points, while Da’Sean Butler and Devin Ebanks each scored 13 for the Mountaineers, though Butler had just one point in the second half.

Trailing by 11 past the midway point of the second half, the Mountaineers made it a one-possession game thanks to a 12-4 spurt, as Ebanks’ uncontested dunk in transition capped the run for a 62-59 game with eight minutes left.

Stokes stopped the rally with a pair of free throws, and after trading buckets, Reynolds hit a deep, step-back jumper for a seven-point advantage.

It was still a seven-point difference before Reggie Redding’s bucket gave ‘Nova a 74-65 lead with under 2 1/2 minutes to play.

Casey Mitchell gave the hosts one last chance by converting a rare four-point play, but Stokes’ driving basket and two Reynolds free throws on the next two possessions sealed the Wildcats’ biggest road win of the year.

Fisher’s three-pointer at the 15-minute mark of the first half started a 15-3 burst for the visitors that ended on a Maalik Wayns bucket for a 21-10 lead.

Villanova connected on 63.3 percent from the field in the first half, but West Virginia was able to get to the free throw line frequently, hitting 11-of-16 from the stripe in the opening 20 minutes to stay within 44-33 at the break.

The Wildcats came out of the locker room cold, failing to hit a field goal for the first six-plus minutes of the second stanza. Nevertheless, the Mountaineers only pulled as close as five, 45-40, during the stretch.

Reynolds snapped Villanova out of its shooting funk with a make from behind the arc and three-point play around a Kevin Jones putback, pushing the margin to 53-43 with a little over 12 minutes remaining in regulation.

West Virginia, which had won four of the previous five meeting against ‘Nova, fell to is 9-2 at home this season...Mitchell had 12 points and Jones 11 and eight rebounds for the Mountaineers, who ended up making just 18-of-32 from the foul line...West Virginia is next in action on Friday against rival Pittsburgh, while Villanova hosts Providence on Saturday.