‘Nova returns to winning ways in one-sided victory over Canisius, 83-56

After coming in with recent back-to-back losses, Coach Wright and his Villanova Wildcats hoped to get back on the right track down in Disney World. They did just that, taking care of the Advocare Invitational quarterfinal showdown with the Canisius Golden Griffins.

Once they took the lead, the Wildcats dominated in wire-to-wire fashion, winning 83-56 over the Golden Griffins.

Sophomore forward Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree led the way for Villanova, with a double-double (15 points and 13 rebounds). Cosby-Roundtree was near perfect from the field, shooting 6-of-7, and having a day on the boards with 8 offensive rebounds. He was the clear difference maker for the ‘Cats today, as “Dada” set the tone from opening tip down low. He was a menace on both ends of the court, anchoring the paint and overwhelming the Golden Griffins. He also had three steals and a block to go along with his efficient scoring day, but he was far from the only one to enjoy a double digit performance.

Phil Booth also chipped in 15 points in the victory. Freshmen Cole Swider and Saddiq Bey also made their mark. Swider had 11 points off the bench, while Bey made his first career start. He chipped in 11 points and eight boards.

Villanovans all around should be proud of the effort and pride their boys took down to Lake Buena Vista today.

The Wildcats seemed more polished coming out from opening tip. Their offense flowed more seamlessly and a strong effort in creating second-chance points by Cosby-Roundtree and Bey also helped their cause. They went off to a strong 17-8 run to begin the game and kept things going until the break, where they took a 38-26 lead at half.

Canisius would trim down the ‘Nova lead to single digits for a brief moment, until Villanova responded with an 12-2 run to make it 58-39 with 12:39 to go in the game. From there, the Wildcats never stopped pushing and a lot of different players got to get a piece of the action.

Five-star freshman guard Jahvon Quinerly showed some promise against Canisius, putting up nine points, three rebounds, and a pair of assists in 15 minutes. Swider knocked down three shots from long range.

For Canisius, Isaiah Reese finished with a game-high 19 points. Takal Molson had 10 points.

The Wildcats will now turn their attention to the Oklahoma State Cowboys, who they will face in the semifinals. Tip-off is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. ET on Friday.