Wildcats deliver on rebound challenge from Pope in win vs. Bucknell

Villanova’s defense shines in 73-61 victory

Wildcats force 22 turnovers, hold Bucknell to 34% shooting

**Villanova, Pa.** - The Villanova Wildcats delivered a dominant performance on the defensive end in a 73-61 victory over the Bucknell Bison on Tuesday night at Finneran Pavilion. The Wildcats, coming off a disappointing loss to Penn State on Saturday, responded with a renewed focus on rebounding and defense. They held Bucknell to just 34% shooting from the field and forced 22 turnovers. **Senior forward Eric Paschall led the way for Villanova with 20 points and 11 rebounds**, while junior guard Phil Booth added 16 points and six assists. Sophomore forward Jermaine Samuels also chipped in with 10 points and seven rebounds. **The Wildcats dominated the glass, outrebounding Bucknell 44-29**. Paschall led the way with 11 rebounds, followed by Samuels with seven and Booth with six. **Villanova's defense was particularly impressive in the second half**. The Wildcats held Bucknell to just 29% shooting from the field and forced 12 turnovers. **The victory improves Villanova's record to 7-2 on the season**. The Wildcats will be back in action on Saturday when they host the Hofstra Pride at Finneran Pavilion. **In the post-game press conference, Villanova head coach Jay Wright praised his team's defensive effort**. *“I thought our defense was outstanding tonight,”* Wright said. *“We forced them into a lot of turnovers and we rebounded the ball well. That's what we needed to do to win this game.”* **Paschall said he was happy to see the Wildcats bounce back from their loss to Penn State**. *“It was a tough loss, but we learned from it and we came out tonight and played hard,”* Paschall said. *“We knew we had to rebound the ball better and we did that. Our defense was also great.”* **The Wildcats will look to continue their winning ways on Saturday against Hofstra**. The Pride are 5-4 on the season and coming off a 78-66 win over the Delaware Blue Hens.