Villanova successfully built off its big win over Xavier on Saturday with a 31-point thrashing of DePaul Wednesday night, using grand larceny-level thievery to stifle the Blue Demons and spark its own offense.

The first 10 minutes of the game had a boxing match feel as the teams traded baskets while feeling each other out. After DePaul tied the game at 16 with just over 11 minutes to go in the half, Villanova outscored the Blue Demons 30-14 to take a 16-point lead into the break.

The ‘Cats used seven first half steals to help spark the offense en route to shooting just under 60% for the half. They turned those turnovers into 14 points, and attacked the rim relentlessly throughout the half, scoring 24 points in the paint.

Meanwhile the defense held DePaul to 45% shooting and just 2-12 from three. Max Strus had 14 first-half points, but the rest of the team managed only 16.

A 7-0 spurt from ‘Nova to open the second half pushed the lead over 20, and the Blue Demons were never able to threaten.

The offense remained hot, hitting 60% from the floor. It was a vintage offensive performance, highlighted by incredibly unselfish play, an abundance of open looks, and contributions from up and down the lineup. Five Wildcats reached double-figures, while a total of nine players scored.

The defense remained sturdy as well, as DePaul shot 42% from the floor and 25% from three in the second half. The ‘Cats forced 10 more turnovers, including another four steals, running DePaul’s total for the game to 20.

Mikal Bridges followed up his 25-point outing against Xavier with 27 on Wednesday night. He shot 9-12 from the floor and 4-7 from three. Bridges added three steals, two rebounds and a block.

Eric Paschall was fantastic, netting 16 points on 6-10 shooting. He chipped in five rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Phil Booth returned from his broken hand and didn’t miss a beat. He scored 14 points off the bench on an efficient 4-6 from the field to go with three rebounds and an assist in 16 minutes of action. It’s no coincidence that Villanova looked completely back in form or that the defense was much more in sync and active.

Jalen Brunson continued to be incredibly steady, going for 11 points, seven assists, two rebounds and two steals. He shot 5-9 from the floor, took a couple of key charges, and generally just continued to be the unflappable leader he has been all season.

Omari Spellman rounded out the double-figure scorers for Villanova with 10 points, all of which came in the second half. He shot 4-5 from the floor and 2-2 from deep. Spellman added seven rebounds and a block. He grabbed several man-sized rebounds and demonstrated his full offensive arsenal, from his range to his impressive footwork and strength near the basket.

Donte DiVincenzo didn’t have his deep shot working, but still managed a very productive game. He scored eight points on 4-8 shooting while adding four rebounds, four assists and three steals.

The true freshmen were quiet overall, seeing their combined load lightened by the return of Booth. Collin Gillespie chipped in two points, Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree had a steal, and Jermaine Samuels added a rebound and an assist. The ‘Cats would like to get more from this group going forward, but it wasn’t needed on Wednesday night as the finally healthy Wildcats (knock on wood) worked on reestablishing roles and getting in rhythm.

On senior night, the senior walk-ons even got some shine. Denny Grace got in the scoring column by knocking down a three and was joined by Tom Leibig who knocked down a nice mid-range jumper. Leibig also added a rebound, and Matt Kennedy grabbed a rebound as well.

In addition to the boost from Booth’s return and generally stellar play from the Wildcats, the 31-point margin was helped by a near complete reversal in the two areas ‘Nova struggled in the last time these teams met.

While playing cohesive, disruptive defense, Villanova did so with great discipline. ‘Nova conceded just a single DePaul free throw, while earning 21 trips to the line themselves. Instead of the minus-9 from the line we saw in the last meeting, Wednesday night the ‘Cats were plus-15 from the stripe.

‘Nova also did a much better job rebounding the ball. After being outrebounded by 18 in Chicago, the ‘Cats grabbed just one less rebound than DePaul on Wednesday.

It was a complete performance from the ‘Cats, and exactly what you wanted to see following Saturday’s big win at Xavier. ‘Nova did what it was expected to do against a struggling opponent and has now strung together two very impressive wins.

Wednesday’s effort was nearly flawless. ‘Nova shot 59.6% for the game, including 43.5% from three. The offense was run to near perfection, with incredible ball movement leading to open look after open look. The attack was varied, as ‘Nova mixed in a lot of dribble penetration and work in the post in addition to the three-point shooting. Even with the quiet night from the freshmen, everyone was involved and contributing. When DePaul tried to take away one thing, the ‘Cats simply changed the attack and scored in a different way.

Even more encouraging was the defense. While the offense has been impressive and efficient all season long, the defense has been up and down. On Wednesday night, the defense looked the way we have come to expect it to look under Jay Wright. The ‘Cats communicated on the defensive end, playing cohesively and executing the game plan while being incredibly disruptive. There were very few, if any, missed assignments or glaring breakdowns.

Wednesday night marked the first time the ‘Cats held an opponent under 70 points since the January 23 win over Providence, which also happened to be the last game Phil Booth played in. It’s safe to say that’s not a coincidence. Wednesday’s performance boosted Villanova’s defensive efficiency rating on KenPom five spots, inching the ‘Cats back towards the top 20 at number 36.

‘Nova will look to continue the strong play on Saturday when they face a tough test in a trip to Creighton.