TJ Bamba scored 13 points to lift Villanova to a 79-63 victory over Memphis on Friday in the championship game of the Battle 4 Atlantis at Paradise Island, Bahamas.
Tyler Burton collected 11 points with nine rebounds, Justin Moore and Eric Dixon added 11 points apiece and the Wildcats (6-1) walked away with the victory after they bolted out to a 44-16 lead at halftime.
Villanova, which also won this tournament in 2013 and 2017, has won four in a row and is expected to enter the Top 25 next week.
Memphis’ David Jones scored 13 points and former Villanova player Jahvon Quinerly added 12.
The Tigers (5-1) were undone in the first half when they shot just 14.8 percent from the floor (4 of 27) and 8.3 percent from 3-point range (1 of 12).
Memphis trailed 67-32 before scoring the game’s next 21 points to put a brief scare into Villanova. Dixon made a layup and Jordan Longino sank a 3-pointer to effectively halt the Tigers’ momentum.
After overcoming a nine-point deficit in the second half of its overtime win versus North Carolina on Thursday, Villanova bolted out of the blocks Friday. Bamba and Moore each drained a 3-pointer and answered Jaykwon Walton’s jumper with 3-pointers by Hakim Hart, Longino and Burton to highlight an 11-0 run and take a 16-2 lead just over 5 1/2 minutes into the game.
Memphis made a modest bid at a comeback before Villanova scored 12 straight points to push its advantage to 44-14, capped by a straightaway 3-pointer from Bamba with 52 seconds remaining before the half.
The Wildcats made 8 of 19 attempts from 3-point range and had 10 assists on 15 made field goals in the first half.
Ashton Hardaway sank a 3-pointer and Caleb Hills made a layup to trim Memphis’ deficit to 26 points with 12:20 remaining, however Moore converted from beyond the arc on consecutive possessions to push Villanova’s lead to 59-27.
–Field Level Media