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Villanova’s 2017 post-season run started on Thursday with an emphatic 108-67 victory over St. John’s in the first quarterfinal of the 2017 BIG EAST Tournament.
The Wildcats, who set a school record for points scored in a conference tournament game, shot an impressive 15-29 (51.7%) from behind the arc and an impressive 21-28 for 2FGs.
Donte DiVincenzo, who led all scorers with a career-high 25 points, was one of six Villanovans to score in double digits.
The Wildcats, who set a record for margin of victory, started off with a hot hand as Senior Kris Jenkins, who finished with 24 points, scored Villanova’s first 9 points in under 3 minutes.
Freshman big man Dylan Painter, who led the team with 6 rebounds, tallied a career high with 10 points.
The only down note from a Villanova perspective was that Mikal Bridges saw limited time and played a single due to a stomach virus.
Jay Wright’s squad will next face the winner of the Marquette and Seton Hall in the semifinals. That game will tip at 6:30p ET on Friday evening.