Villanova Impresses in Final Tuneup Before Season Opener, Locking Down FDU
Head coach Denise Dillon watches as Villanova faces FDU in an exhibition match on Thursday. (Photo by Ray Floriani/Daly Dose Of Hoops)
Game Overview
The newly installed scoreboard at FDU’s Bogota Bank Savings Center displayed the final score, marking more than just numbers for both teams. Villanova secured its second consecutive exhibition win and lived up to its fourth-place preseason ranking in the Big East. Meanwhile, FDU gained valuable experience facing external competition after months of practice and scrimmages, showing both strengths and areas for improvement.
First Half Highlights
- Villanova started strong, opening with a 10-2 lead.
- FDU responded by sinking two three-pointers, narrowing the gap to 12-8.
- The Wildcats extended their lead to 18-8 after the first period.
- FDU’s defense held Villanova scoreless for the initial 5 minutes and 15 seconds of the second period.
- However, FDU struggled offensively, going scoreless for over seven minutes during the same period.
- The halftime score was 30-13 in favor of Villanova.
Second Half Overview
In the final two quarters, FDU improved their play. Despite a brief run that reduced Villanova’s lead to 12 points, the deficit proved too great to overcome. Villanova maintained a slim 27-24 advantage over the last 20 minutes, securing the victory.
“Villanova won its second straight exhibition and looks very worthy of its fourth-place preseason Big East projection.”
“FDU had the opportunity to face outside competition following several months of practices and intrasquad matchups.”
Author’s summary: Villanova confirmed its strong preseason form with a commanding exhibition win over FDU, while FDU showed promise but struggled to catch up after an early deficit.
Jaden Daly — 2025-11-01