subject: Ncaa Basketball Tickets - No. 5 Nova Beats Dickinson 84-61 In Season Opener [print this page] Corey Stokes scored 20 points, Corey Fisher had 13 and No. 5 Villanova defeated Fairleigh Dickinson 84-61. Get NCAA basketball tickets and see Stokes score for the Wildcats. 'Nova's star guard Scottie Reynolds had only eight points; he finished with 2-of-10 shooting. Reynolds recorded two points in the first half, and the Wildcats (1-0) went up 35-34 at the break.
Villanova coach Jay Wright acknowledged that the victory was not pretty, but continued to say he thought the Wildcats settled for 3-pointers in the second half and "did a better job of getting inside." Stokes registered 17 points in the second half and gave 'Nova a scoring burst they needed to overcome Dickinson. Stokes buried four 3-pointers in the second half, while Antonio Pena finished with nine points and 10 rebounds for 'Nova.
Wildcats freshman Dominic Cheek contributed eight points after he entered the contest from the bench. It seemed like Villanova was getting points from everybody in the lineup, not just Stokes and Fisher. Sophomore forward Taylor King, a talented transfer from Duke, also helped ignite Villanova's offense with his nine points and seven rebounds. He made his debut, and from the look of things, you will be seeing a lot more of King as the season progresses. King was one of four newcomers to play at least 18 minutes for 'Nova. Fisher told the press that when he was a freshman he "didn't understand everything on both ends of the floor." He noted that the Wildcats now have veteran leadership that he looks up to.
Terence Grier recorded 17 points and Mike Scott added 15 to lead Dickinson (0-1). Sean Baptiste had 11 points for the Fairleigh. Late in the first half, the Knights were down 25-15, but they rallied back with a 15-2 scoring burst and took a three-point lead. The Knights' lead quickly vanished, however, when Reynolds hit a runner and Fisher knocked down both of his free throws. The Wildcats never trailed again. In the second half, Dickinson hung in the game, closing within 49-45 on a basket made by Alvin Mofunanya with 15:11 left of the game. Villanova then picked up their game and went on a 10-0 run. During that span, Stokes scored six points. He finished 6-of-12 from the floor, including 5-of-10 from behind the arc.
Wright acknowledged that Stokes and Fisher were not put in a position where they had to take over in the second half. If the Knights applied more pressure and challenged 'Nova in the second, maybe Wright would expect more from his junior guards. The Wildcats started the game slowly, just shooting 32 percent in the first half, but picked up the pace and shot 48 percent after the break. They also stepped up defensively, harassing Dickinson into 32 percent shooting. The Knights were ineffective from 3-point land, going 1-of-8. Wright stated that his team responded in the second half. He added that the Wildcats played much better defense in the second. 'Nova, coming off a trip to the Final Four, is expected to go back to the big dance this season.
