An early tip-off meant a slow start for the Villanova Wildcats, but they eventually put the Western Michigan Broncos away 76-65 in the opening round of the Gildan Charleston Classic.
The Broncos’ Thomas Wilder led all scorers with 19 points, while Eric Paschall led the ‘Cats with 17 points. Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson both recorded 14 points of their own.
The first half was marred by a Jeckyll and Hyde performance from the Wildcats defense. They forced 12 turnovers, but struggled to turn those into points and were routinely beaten on slow defensive rotations in the halfcourt or recovering from their press.