VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) — Villanova freshman Ryan Arcidiacono scored 20 of his game-high 25 points in the first half to lead the Wildcats to an 80-68 victory over Marshall in the second round of the 2K Sports Classic on Sunday.
James Bell added 19 points and Darrun Hilliard contributed 15 for Villanova (2-0). Arcidiacono also had six assists.
D.D. Scarver led four Thundering Herd players in double figures with 22 points.
Marshall got as close as two points twice in the second half, the last coming with exactly four minutes remaining when Chris Martin nailed a 3-pointer to make it 70-68. But Bell hit a 3-pointer, Hilliard drained two free throws, and Arcidiacono hit one on a 6-0 Wildcats run that gave Villanova the cushion it needed, 76-68 with 55 seconds left. The Herd didn’t score in the last four minutes.
Arcidiacono, from nearby Langhorne, Pa., was stellar in the first half when he made 5 of 8 shots from the field, including 4 of 7 from 3-point range. He also added four assists, including a nifty left-handed pass to Hilliard on a 2-on-1 break that ended with a Hilliard dunk.
