The islands brought the heat, but Villanova managed to fend off Northern Iowa to win the Battle 4 Atlantis in Paradise Island. Defeating Northern Iowa 64-50, Villanova is now the first team to win two Battle 4 Atlantis tournaments.
The first half of the game replicated a familiar pattern for Villanova during this tournament: falling behind to reactionary plays. Though on par in the scoreboard, Northern Iowa lead the pace for the majority of the half. Taking the lead in the final minutes, UNI outshot ‘Nova from all angles, and doubled ‘Nova’s defensive rebound count. While Eric Paschall dunked for a Wildcat lead into halftime, the Panthers maintained themselves as the dominant presence on the court.