Villanova’s 25-game ‘Big 5’ winning streak ends with 78-75 loss to Penn

The Big 5 is up for grabs once again.

Villanova’s 25-game “Big 5” winning streak came to an end Tuesday night thanks to a 78-75 loss at the hands of Pennsylvania. The winning streak in the annual round-robin series between the informal association of five Philadelphia schools — Villanova, Penn, Temple, Saint Joseph’s and La Salle — had set a record for the longest in the 63-year history of the Big 5.

Penn was able to end the streak by frustrating Villanova all night long with tremendous passing and a steady stream of cuts down the lane. The Quakers shot 51.1 percent from the field and outscored the bigger and more talented Wildcats 25-18 from the free-throw line.

For Villanova, consistent play from its guards was once again at the heart of its issues. The Wildcats shot 9-of-26 from three, turned the ball over 11 times, and assisted on only six of their 24 made shots. Three Wildcats fouled out of the game, including starting point guard Collin Gillespie, who finished with a team-high 21 points.

The win for Penn was its first over the Wildcats since 2002. Nova had won 15 straight over the Quakers, and 13 of those had come by 10 points or more.

The loss was the third in a disappointing start to a title defense season for Villanova. The Wildcats began the year as the No. 9 team in the country, but quickly plummeted after an embarrassing 73-46 home loss to Michigan, and an even more embarrassing home loss to Furman three days later. It’s the first time since 2012-13 that Jay Wright’s squad has lost three non-conference games.

The 2012-13 season was also the last time a team besides Villanova captured the Big 5 championship. That year, La Salle and Temple shared the honor with matching 3-1 records.

Things don’t get any easier for Nova, which plays at No. 1 Kansas Saturday at noon.