After a back-and-forth start, Villanova pulled away from Creighton en route to a 98-78 win.

The game started with a bit of a feeling out period, as the teams traded blows while playing to an 18-18 tie about halfway through the half. ‘Nova proceeded to go on a 22-4 run, building a 40-22 advantage. Creighton answered with a 10-0 spurt of their own to close the gap and get back in the game with just over four minutes to play before Jalen Brunson stemmed the tide with a three. When the dust settled and the halftime buzzer sounded, the ‘Cats found themselves with a 49-34 lead.

Villanova was fantastic offensively, led by Jalen Brunson. Brunson poured in 17 first half points, shooting 6-8 from the field and hitting all four of his attempts from three. The ‘Cats shot 59% from the floor and 56% from beyond the arc and assisted on 13 of their 19 made baskets.

Things were less pretty defensively, as there were a couple of glaring breakdowns, but the final results were solid. Creighton shot 54% from the floor, but just 44% from deep. They committed five turnovers leading to 11 Villanova points, while ‘Nova had just three turnovers and the Bluejays failed turn any of those into a point. Creighton’s 54% looks impressive, but it led to just 34 points. Considering the Bluejays offensive capabilities, that’s a more than acceptable result.

Marcus Foster’s ability was on display, and there was a short stretch where he looked ready to take the half over, but he ultimately finished with just six first-half points. No Bluejay reached double-figures.

The second half would prove to be much more drama free. Marcus Foster opened the half with a layup, cutting the lead to 13, but that would prove to be as close as the Bluejays would get. The teams went back and forth for about five minutes before the ‘Cats began to build a lead that would reach as much as 27. From there Villanova cruised to a 98-78 win.

Offensively, it was a nearly flawless performance. Eight Wildcats scored, with five reaching double figures. Villanova finished the game shooting 54% from the floor and 49% from three. The ‘Cats tied a school-record with 19 made threes. They committed just six turnovers.

Mikal Bridges led all scorers with 21 points. He shot 8-14 from the field and 3-6 from deep. Bridges added four assists and three rebounds.

Brunson continued to make a strong case for national Player of the Year, despite performing in the shadow of Trae Young. Brunson had 19 points on 7-11 from the floor and 4-5 from three. He also had four rebounds and four assists. His decision making and control of the offense is remarkable.

Donte DiVincenzo was very good once again, netting 17 points to go with six rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block.

Omari Spellman chipped in 14 points, three rebounds and two steals. He shot 5-10 from the floor and 4-7 from three.

Eric Paschall had an efficient 11 points on 4-7 from the floor and 3-6 from three. He added eight rebounds and an assist.

Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree continued to make progress, having a solid game with six points, six rebounds, and a block.

Collin Gillespie chipped in eight points, five assists, and a rebound, shooting 3-5 and 2-4 from deep.

And the walk-ons finally got on the board, as Matt Kennedy hit a nice jumper in the lane. Tom Leibig and Denny Grace each missed a three. Peyton Heck grabbed a rebound.

Defensively the Wildcats were solid. Creighton finished the game shooting 49% from the floor and 33% from three, both well below its season average. Things were much tighter in the second half, and considering the opponent, this can get classified as a good defensive performance.

‘Nova also did a great job on the boards, outrebounding Creighton 35-25. The ‘Cats had a 10-3 advantage on the offensive boards.

Overall, there was a lot to like about the performance. It wasn’t a dominating showing defensively, but ‘Nova did a good job against a very capable offensive team. Ultimately, it’s going to be hard for anyone to beat Villanova when the offense clicks the way it did Thursday night. The offensive attack was balanced and the ‘Cats got contributions from up and down the rotation.

The win gets Villanova to 21-1, setting the best start in school history. The ‘Cats are currently a half-game clear of Xavier at the top of the Big East standings, with a two-game cushion over Seton Hall and Creighton.

Next up a Super Bowl appetizer, as the ‘Cats take on Seton Hall at noon on Sunday.