Tyler Perkins’ big first half leads Villanova men to rout of Big Five foe Penn, 93-49

Tyler Perkins has found himself on the other side of the Big 5 rivalry with Penn.

Perkins led Penn past Villanova last year and he was still impactful again this year. But this time the sophomore guard was wearing a Villanova jersey.

“Whatever team Tyler Perkins is on, you know he’s going to bring it,” Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune said.

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Villanova (3-3) defeated Penn (2-3), 93-49 on Tuesday night, hosting the Quakers with an extra layer of intensity. The Quakers upset Villanova a year ago at the Palestra on the way to the Wildcats finishing last in the inaugural Big 5 Classic.

In Tuesday’s win, Villanova shot 53.2% from the field and 60% from the long range. Graduate forward Eric Dixon led the way with 23 points on 9-for-14 shooting, including 4-of-5 from three.

Wooga Poplar (19 points), Jhamir Brickus had (16), and Perkins (12) also scored in double figures for Villanova.

“I thought we were way more cohesive than we’ve been,” Neptune said. “Guys were together, we were talking, our switches were better, we were loading. Overall, we played a great defensive game.”

Meanwhile, Penn shot just 26.9% for the game. Ethan Roberts and Johnnie Walter led the Quakers with seven points each.

Perkins, starting in place of Poplar, shot 3-for-3 from the field and scored seven points in the opening 4 minutes and 30 seconds of play.

“I thought we started great because [Perkins] was intense,” Neptune said. “He just knew everything we were doing and set the tone for the game.”

Perkins entered the game averaging 7.6 points per game, usually off the bench. But he scored 10 points and collected four rebounds and two steals in the first half.

As the Quakers dragged their scoring drought to eight minutes late in the first half, sophomore guard Sam Brown attempted a layup, but Perkins (nine rebounds, three steals) smacked it away from his former teammate, registering only his second block of the season.

The teams were tied, 26-26, midway through the first half, before Penn’s shooting faltered and Villanova went on a 17-0 run before halftime. Penn did not make a basket for a stretch of 10:33 when the Wildcats put the game away.

Villanova held Penn to 41.7% percent shooting from three in the first half, then just 16.7% in the second. The Quakers also shot just 14-of-30 from the free throw line.

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Especially with Perkins on the other side of the court, Penn coach Steve Donahue felt the effects of the transfer portal in the loss. He pointed to the Quakers’ lack of camaraderie for a team with seven new players, including three new transfers.

“I think it’s a lack of confidence, tension, and anxiety that’s leaking into both sides of the ball,” Donahue said. “To me, it’s the confidence piece of having not been through adversity [together] and not having the confidence to get through it. That’s what we have to figure out.”

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Tuesday’s game was Villanova’s last Big 5 pod matchup before the Big 5 Classic takes place on Saturday, Dec. 7 at the Wells Fargo Center. The Quakers, who lost to St. Joseph’s last week, will play in the fifth-place game against Drexel (3-2).

Villanova will compete for third place against either Temple or La Salle.

Next up for Villanova is Maryland at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on Nov. 24 (1 p.m., ESPN). The Wildcats then host Rider on Nov. 27 (7 p.m., FS1) and No. 18 Cincinnati on Dec. 3 (6:30 p.m., FS1).