It was a miracle comeback that not even a Big 5 game could produce.
Villanova's defensive intensity and fullcourt pressure in the opening minutes rattled the Quakers.
By the time Penn finally settled down to outscore Villanova in the second half, the Wildcats had already removed their full-court press. Such is the luxury of a 53-22 halftime lead.
Right out of the gate, Villanova went into a swarming defensive press, trapping the Quakers' ballhandlers all over the court. When Penn managed to break the press efficiently, Villanova's Scottie Reynolds led a relentless defensive unit that prevented the Quakers from setting up their offense.
The resulting confusion on offense caused Penn to turn the ball over 20 times in the first half. The Wildcats scored a whopping 28 points off of turnovers in the first stanza, compared to only nine points off of turnovers in the second half when they eased up on the defensive end.
"The pressure really got to us at the start," freshman point guard Harrison Gaines said. "Overall, we just couldn't get our offense going."
Obviously, Villanova's superior athleticism made it that much more difficult for Penn to find a comfort zone. From Aron Cohen's carrying violation to a backcourt violation against the press, the entire Penn team played tentatively throughout the first half.
"When you're young and you come to an environment like this and we start like that, it's tough," said Villanova coach Jay Wright of Penn's early woes. "That's what I think was really the key to the game."
Reynolds hit the floor twice in the first few minutes of the game to recover loose balls and set the tone for his teammates. The Quakers never came close to matching Villanova's intensity in the first half.
"I thought we were nervous to start the game," Penn coach Glen Miller said. "If someone knocks you, you've got to knock him back harder. We just have to develop tougher skin and be more determined right from the get-go."
In the second half, when the Quakers didn't have to contend with the heavy pressure, they created easy shots for themselves. Freshman Tyler Bernardini buried open threes, and Penn only turned the ball over seven times. But the Red and Blue had already dug themselves into too deep of a hole.
"If they would have put the press on in the second half I think we would have been able to handle it," Gaines said. "But the game started in the first half and we didn't come out ready to play, and that was the tilt of the game."
