We expected a prototypical Big 5 basketball game on Wednesday night as that’s exactly what we got as Villanova gutted out a hard-fought win over a game Penn team.

Nobody was able to get much separation in the first half as the teams traded blows, but a 6-0 spurt from ‘Nova over the final three and a half minutes of the period gave the ‘Cats a slight cushion at the break.

The run continued to start the second half as the ‘Cats scored the first five points out of the break, and it looked like ‘Nova might be on its way to opening up some separation. But the Quakers refused to go away and pulled within a point at the 12:59 mark on a Jordan Dingle three. ‘Nova continued to make plays, however, and never relinquished the lead. The Wildcats kept Penn just out of reach and then made their free throws down the stretch to earn an 80-69 win.

While it was a nice, gutty performance from the ‘Cats, some of the numbers were a bit troubling. Penn was shooting 50 percent or better for much of the game, although they finished at 48.3 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from three. The Quakers got the better of the three-point line, connecting on 7-19 while Villanova was just 4-10. Combined with the fact that the ‘Cats were beaten by backdoor cuts on multiple occasions and that Villanova didn’t play offense the way we are used to seeing it play it (16 assists on 30 baskets, 49 two-point attempts, just 10 three-point attempts), the initial response may have been one of being happy with the win but not particularly pleased with or excited by the performance.

However, when you take some time to reflect, the outlook changes somewhat. Penn did an excellent job dictating the way the game was played, selling out to protect the perimeter and forcing Villanova to beat it with isolation play, dribble drives, and inside offense. That the Wildcats were able to make the necessary adjustments, exploit advantages where they had them, and win the game the way Penn wanted to play it is encouraging.

Saddiq Bey led the way with a career-high 27 points, shooting 10-18 from the field and adding six rebounds and three assists. He made big play after big play, and was huge for the ‘Cats all night.

Justin Moore and another nice game, playing a team-high 36 minutes despite coming off the bench again and scoring 17 points.

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl continued to make his presence felt, securing another double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. He also added three assists and three steals.

Collin Gillespie was limited by foul trouble, playing just 22 minutes, but rounded out Villanova’s double-figure scorers with 11. He added six assists, two rebounds, and two steals.

Cole Swider added seven points and seven rebounds, showing some nice versatility with some good inside play.

Jermaine Samuels was quiet offensively, scoring just two points. But he did a little bit of everything else, chipping in four rebounds, three steals, two assists, and one very impressive block. He made several key plays for the ‘Cats.

Brandon Slater added three points, three rebounds, two assists, and a steal off the bench, giving the ‘Cats a solid 20 minutes.

Penn deserves a lot of credit for dictating the style, but so to does Villanova for finding ways to adapt and win the game regardless. It’s a great sign that the ‘Cats can win games even when unable to play their preferred brand of basketball. The defense continues to be a work in progress, but despite the optics of Wednesday’s game it’s certainly fair to take some encouragement from the performance.