NIT Season Tipoff, Stanford vs. Villanova final score: Wildcats defeat Cardinal 59-45, face Georgia Tech in Friday's final

It wasn't a pretty game, but the Villanova Wildcats over came a poor shooting night to win their fifth game of the season following a 59-45 victory over the Stanford Cardinal in the NIT Season Tipoff semifinals.

After taking five minutes to get on the board at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the Wildcats (5-0) used two 8-0 runs and a 7-0 run to catapult into a 30-23 lead at the intermission.

Villanova's defense applied the pressure on the California team throughout the game. Despite being out-rebounded by 20 (55-35) Villanova kept the Cardinal to only shooting 26% from the floor (13-5). 'Nova also forced 23 turnovers from the Pac-12 team and notched 13 points from those turnovers.

The game wasn't all Villanova; their atypical shooting performance (30.6% and 7-34 from 3FG) left multiple doors open for the Cardinal. Stanford used an 11-2 run to get within 7 with 8 minutes to play, but the Wildcats inched away behind Jalen Brunson's team-high 18 points.

Villanova will play Georgia Tech on Friday. Tipoff is slated for 3p ET.