Villanova announces men’s and women’s basketball double-header in Allentown

Back in 2014, the Villanova Wildcats participated in the first-ever college basketball game to be played at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pa., which normally houses the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League.

The Wildcats, who squared off against Lehigh then, downed the Mountain Hawks, 77-66, in a game designed as a homecoming of sorts for then-senior Darrun Hilliard—a native of nearby Bethlehem, Pa.

Fast forward nearly three years later, and the Wildcats have announced they will be returning back to the PPL Center for the first time since 2014 as part of a special doubleheader.

The Villanova men’s and women’s basketball teams will host some local Pennsylvania schools under the lights of the PPL Center on Nov. 17.

The men’s team will face off against Lafayette, while the women’s team will play Lehigh.

Game times and television information will be released at a later date.

For the men’s team, this will mark its fourth meeting with Lafayette over a five-year span. Villanova had won all of the previous match ups with the Leopards, including the most recent one—a 88-48 blowout in the 2016-17 season opener at the Pavilion.

Similarly, for the women’s basketball team, this will also be its fourth meeting with Lehigh since 2013. The Wildcats emerged victorious in each of the three prior clashes, most recently winning by a 22-point margin last season.

The Lafayette men’s basketball team is coming off of a 9-21 season, including a 5-13 showing in the Patriot League. Meanwhile, the Lehigh women’s basketball squad finished the 2016-17 season 10-20 overall and an identical 5-13 record in conference play.