Dick Jerardi: College Basketball Wrap: New York, New York, Villanova's kind of town

AROUND THE CITY

Ranked over New York

Villanova was in Manhattan while Temple was in the Bronx. Each dominated the second half and won again.

Wildcats keep winning

How often does a team give up 16 consecutive points and never for a moment look like anything but a winner? That was Villanova at Madison Square Garden. These Wildcats put so much pressure on their opponents at both ends that it is often just a question of when they will crack.

St. John's (12-7, 2-5 Big East) hung into the second half and then seemed to wilt at both ends. All the shots that were going in early were not close late. Villanova (18-1, 7-0) won, 81-71.

The point-guard story

Is there another team in recent college basketball history that can play with what are essentially three point guards as good as Scottie Reynolds, Corey Fisher and Maalik Wayns? The trio combined for 53 points. Imagine what it must feel like for a defense with one, two or all three of them bearing down on you? Reynolds, incredibly, has shot 50 percent or better in 10 of his last 11 games.

The shooting story

St. John's made 12 of its first 16 shots and 12 of its last 45.

For the second consecutive game, Villanova made exactly half its shots, 28 of 56.

The play

Antonio Pena made a runner in the lane early in the second half and then, instead of admiring it, sprinted back to block what looked like a breakaway at the other end. It was one of 10 Villanova blocks and epitomized everything that is good about college hoops and this team.

Meanwhile, in the Bronx

After an ugly first half, Temple (17-3, 5-0 Atlantic 10) shot 16-for-24 (66.7 percent) and 7-for-9 from the arc in the second half and beat Fordham, 62-45.

The Owls won on a day when Lavoy Allen did not make a shot, Juan Fernandez left early when he got hit in the face, and Luis Guzman did not play in the second half because of an ankle injury.

The more games they play, the more it is becoming obvious that whatever these Owls need, they get.

What they always have is defense. What they needed was some more offense. They got it from Scootie Randall, who came off the bench to shoot 4-for-5 from the arc and score a career-best 12 points.