PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Dominic Cheek scored 17 points, Corey Stokes added 16 and No. 4 Villanova rolled to its eighth straight win with a 94-68 victory over reeling Rutgers on Wednesday night.
Corey Fisher, who like Cheek and Stokes played high school basketball in New Jersey, added 15 points as the Wildcats (17-1, 6-0 Big East) matched the school's best start since 1963-64.
Thanks to No. 12 Georgetown's 74-66 win over No. 9 Pittsburgh, Villanova is now the only undefeated team in Big East play. The last time the Wildcats started 6-0 in the conference was 1981-82.
Freshman Dane Miller scored 22 of his 26 points in the second half for Rutgers (9-9, 0-6), which lost its seventh straight. Hamady Ndiaye added 12 points before fouling out.
Villanova overpowered Rutgers with a 10-man rotation that built a 47-25 halftime lead. The starters combined for 24 points and the reserves totaled 23.
Senior guard Scottie Reynolds, the conference player of the week after averaging 31.5 points, didn't make his first field goal until 3 minutes into the second half. He finished with nine points.
It didn't matter. The Wildcats led by 32 early in the final half and the only thing Rutgers could hope to do was make the score respectable.
After Mike Coburn hit a drive and Mike Rosario a 3-pointer to get Rutgers within 21-15, Villanova took control by closing the half with 26-10 spurt.
Stokes started the run with a spin move and a reverse layup and Fisher followed with a rebound basket and two free throws.
After a three-point play by Ndiaye, Fisher drove the lane for a basket, Mouphtaou Yarou hit a 10-footer and Isaiah Armwood scored twice in the lane in an 8-1 run that stretched the lead to 35-19.
Stokes, who was 6 of 10 from the field, added another 3-pointer before the half ended.
The closest the Scarlet Knights got in the second half was 70-54 on tip-in by Coburn. After a Villanova turnover, Miller missed a 3-pointer and Reynolds hit a 3-pointer to end any hope of a comeback.