#19 Villanova vs UCF

Score: Villanova 76, UCF 68
Player of the Game: Scottie Reynolds 19 pts, 5 ast


Recap: Villanova beat the University of Central Florida tonight 76-68 in the first round of the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Florida. It was like a home game for UCF, and they put up a great fight, but Nova was able to hold on and make some crucial free throws down the stretch to clinch the victory. It was a fast-paced game with a lot of 3 pointers by both teams. Mike O'Donnell had a great game for UCF, scoring 24 points on 6-12 for three. Scottie Reynolds was the player of the game with 19 points and 5 assists. But the big story of the night was freshman Corey Fisher who broke out with 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists off the bench. Fisher Price, as they call him because he toys with defenders, was 4-8 from 3-point land and looked like the star recruit that Nova fans were expecting. Reggie Redding continues to impress, adding 14 points, shooting 2-3 for 3-pointers where he usually struggles. Shane Clark and Dante Cunningham's stats dropped because they spent a lot of the night in foul trouble and both fouled out. They combined for 10 points and 11 rebounds. Casiem Drummond had a decent game with 7 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks, but he continued to struggle from the free throw line, shooting 3-5. Corey Stokes played 14 minutes and had 5 points and 4 rebounds, but was 1-5 for three. He is supposed to be the best shooter on the team, but has been struggling early in the season. I'm sure things will turn around soon and he'll gain confidence in his shot. Malcolm Grant saw limited playing time, as did Antonio Pena. Villanova has a traditional starting line up this year with Reynolds at PG, Redding at SG, Clark at SF, Cunningham at PF, and Drummond at C, but towards the end of the game after Clark and Cunningham fouled out Jay Wright was actually playing 5 guards at once (Reynolds, Fisher, Grant, Redding, Stokes). Villanova plays the winner of Kansas State/George Mason tomorrow. Kansas State has a freshman Michael Beasley averaging 30 points and 20 rebounds so it will be interesting to see him play.