SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Freshman Isaiah Armwood hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 17 seconds left, rallying fifth-ranked Villanova past George Mason, 69-68, Thursday, in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off.

Armwood won it for the Wildcats (3-0) with his only shot of the game. He played just 4 minutes and came off the bench after Antonio Pena and Taylor King both fouled out.

George Mason (2-1) led by 13 points in the first half. The Patriots never trailed until late in the second half, but didn’t
get off a shot after Armwood’s basket.

Scottie Reynolds scored 18 points and Corey Fisher had 17 for Villanova. Ryan Pearson led the Patriots with 14 points and Cam Long added 13.

Villanova, which opened the season with victories over Fairleigh Dickinson and Penn, will play Dayton on Friday at 3:30 p.m. Dayton defeated Georgia Tech, 63-59.

Is Villanova ever going to lose another Big 5 game?

The Wildcats  have now won 19 of their last 20 City Series matchups after last night's 103-65 victory over Penn. The Quakers have lost their lost seven meetings to Villanova.

With 7 minutes remaining, the lead was 48. The biggest margin of victory in any Big 5 game is 41, by Villanova over La Salle in 2005. There was, of course, the imfamous 43-pointer by ’Nova over Penn in the 1971 East Regional final, but that doesn’t officially count. The 103 marked the most points Villanova has ever scored against Penn, and tied for third-most the ’Cats ever scored in a Big 5 game.

The Wildcats may be young off the bench, but they are really talented, really deep and only figure to get better in 2010.

The fact that all the 'Cats' Big 5 games are before Christmas might make them vulnerable, but I don't see it at the moment.
 

REMAINING VILLANOVA BIG 5 GAMES

Nov. 28, LaSalle at Villanova (Pavilion)

Dec. 9, Villanova vs. Saint Joseph's (Palestra)

Dec. 13, Villanova at Temple (Liacouras Center)

La Salle has added another highly regarded guard to its recruiting class with the signing of point guard Sam Mills. He will begin play in the 2010-11 season.

The 6-2 Mills is from Cardinal Gibbons High in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and is rated as a four-star recruit by Scout.com

According to the site, Mills also was being pursued by Auburn, Delaware, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Marshall, Northwestern and Tulane with offers from Delaware and Marshall.

The Explorers also have signed point guard Tyreek Duren and center Matt Lopez.

Duren, from Neumann-Goretti, ranked as the 25th best point guard nationally by ESPNU. He averaged 13 points, 6.5 assists, and 3.5 rebounds.

Lopez averaged 12 points, nine rebounds and four blocks for Washington Twp. as a junior.

The signing makes La Salle and Duke the only two teams to sign two of the top 35 point guards.

Last season we had "Brunch with Bruiser" when Drexel hosted Penn at 10 a.m. on a weekday.

Tomorrow, it's "Breakfast with Bruiser" when the Dragons play at Niagara at 8 a.m.

This is not a misprint. The game is part of an ESPN hoops marathon. For really early risers, Monmouth plays St. Peter's at 6 a.m. tomorrow. Anything to get on national TV . . .

At least Drexel is accustomed to practicing in the mornings. Under coach Bruiser Flint, the Dragons frequently practice at 7 or 7:30 a.m.

"Any game before noon is a battle of who's awake," Flint said, laughing. "When you're dealing with these kids, sometimes they aren't awake at 7 o'clock [p.m.].

"I'm sure they're going to have some type of thing like we did last year with the fans. We expect to see a real hostile crowd."

As Daily News colleague Ed Barkowitz suggested in his "50 Things to Ponder About College Basketball" last week, an 8 a.m. game should be sponsored by Dunkin' Donuts. Or Starbucks.

Flint said he has been advised by Drexel trainer Michael Westerfer that the players should eat a big meal tonight, then just have a continental breakfast before the game (extra strong coffee). The Dragons (0-1) plan to arrive at Niagara's Gallagher Center about 6:45 a.m.

Last season, Niagara defeated Drexel, 67-62, at the Daskalakis Athletic Center. The Purple Eagles, coached by former La Salle assistant Joe Mihalich, have four starters returning from last season's 26-9 team. Niagara dropped its opener, 69-65, at Auburn.

Penn is at Villanova on Monday night as the 55th season of City Series play begins.

One of the highlights of the season will occur on a court, but will not involve a game.

On Jan. 29, 2010 at the Palestra, John Chaney, Rollie Massimino and Speedy Morris will all be inducted into the Big 5 Hall of Fame. Massimino (Villanova) is the only Big 5 era coach to win a national championship. Chaney (Temple) and Morris (La Salle) are the all-time winningest coaches at their schools.

The Wildcats, who have dominated the City Series the last five seasons (they have won 18 of their last 19), play in the first four Big 5 games — Nov. 28 vs. La Salle, Dec. 9 vs. Saint Joseph's at the Palestra, Dec. 13 at Temple.

Half of the City Series games will be at the Palestra. It would have been six if there had not been a scheduling conflict on March 6. Which is why St. Joe's and La Salle will be playing at Hagan Arena.
 

*

LaSalle's Aarric Muray was named the Atlantic 10 Co-Rookie of the Week.

He had 16 points and 11 rebounds in an 83-80 victory over Hampton on Saturday, becoming the first Explorer freshman to post a double-double in his debut since Michael Brooks had 25 points and 18 rebounds against Widener on Nov. 29, 1976. 

*

The week ahead
 

MONDAY, NOV. 16

Penn at Villanova, 7

TUESDAY, NOV. 17

Drexel at Niagara, 8 a.m.

Temple at Georgetown, 4

Holy Cross at Saint Joseph’s, 7

THURSDAY, NOV. 19

Villanova vs. George Mason, 2 p.m. at Puerto Rico Classic/San Juan, P.R.

La Salle at South Carolina, 9:30 p.m. at Charleston (S.C.) Classic

FRIDAY, NOV. 20

Drexel at Rutgers, 7:30

Villanova vs. Dayton/Georgia Tech at 1 or 3 p.m. at Puerto Rico Classic/San Juan, P.R.

La Salle vs. South Florida/Davidson, 7 or 9:30 p.m., at Charleston (S.C.) Classic

Saint Joseph’s vs. Boston College, 6 p.m. at Paradise Jam, St. Thomas, V.I.

SATURDAY, NOV. 21

Delaware at Penn, 7

Siena at Temple, 7

Saint Joseph's vs. South Dakota State/Purdue, 6 p.m. at Paradise Jam, St. Thomas, V.I.

*If lose Nov. 20

SUNDAY, NOV. 22

La Salle vs. TBA, 10 a.m./12:30/3:30/6 at Charleston (S.C.) Classic

(Tulane, Miami (Fla.), UNC Wilmington, Penn St.)

Villanova vs. TBA, 10:30 a.m./12:30/5:30/8 at Puerto Rico Classic/San Juan, P.R.

(Indiana, Mississippi, Boton U., Kansas St.)

* Saint Joseph's vs. South Dakota State/Purdue, 8:30 p.m. at Paradise Jam/St. Thomas, V.I.

*If win Nov. 20
 

Senior Rodney Green scored 14 points and Aaric Murray had 13 in his collegiate debut as La Salle beat Holy Family, 94-59, in an exhibition game at Tom Gola Arena.

The Explorers ran out to a 19-2 lead 8 minutes into the game and held the Tigers in single digits throughout most of the first half. Green scored 10 of his 14 points in the half to put the Explorers up by 44-17 at the break.

The lead was pushed to as many as 52 points as the Explorers went up 72-20 on a Murray dunk with 12:05 left, and held a 40-point advantage down the stretch.

Holy Family scored 42 points in the second half behind 22 points from Khiry Hankins, but could not close the first-half deficit.

In addition to Green's 14 and Murray's 13, Ruben Guillandeaux added 13, Jerrell Williams scored 11 and rookie Devon White chipped in 10. For the game, the Explorers shot 52.3 percent from the field while limiting Holy Family to 29.6 percent.

The Explorers open the regular season next Saturday, when they host Hampton at 3 p.m.

Former Saint Joseph's star shooter Pat Carroll was chosen in the second round of the NBA Developmental League draft last night. Carroll was the eighth pick in the round by the Iowa Energy.

Carroll, from Hatboro-Horsham High, spent last season in Spain, splitting time between Beirasar Rosalia and Tenerife Rural. He averaged in double figures in scoring and shot better than 40 percent from the 3-point line.

He played with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Two other players with Philly connections also were selected -- Mustafa Shakur and DeSean White.

Shakur, from Friends Central, was the first player chosen in the second round by the Tulsa 66ers. Shakur played collecgiately at Arizona and played on the Lakers summer league team this year. He has played in Poland, Spain and Greece and was in training camp last season with Minnesota.

White, from Cardinal Dougherty, was chosen in the fifth round by the Springfield Armor. White finished his college career as a two-time Sun Conference Player of the Year at Northwood, where he played for Rollie Massimino. He began his college career at Providence and made stops at LaSalle and Delaware, before heading to Northwood.

Villanova’s basketball team will unofficially begin its season Thursday at the Wachovia Center with a 7 o’clock scrimmage against Kutztown, which is ranked as high as 16th in several preseason Division II polls.

The Wildcats, of course, are No. 5 in Division I, coming off their first Final Four appearance in nearly a quarter-century. Picked to finish first in the Big East, they have to replace three starters.

But five players from their rotation are back, led by senior guard Scottie Reynolds. Coach Jay Wright has also added four highly regarded freshmen, and Duke transfer Taylor King is eligible. They’ll be without senior swingman Reggie Redding for the first semester (10 games); he was suspended by the university for violating its student code of conduct following an on-campus incident last summer.

Kutztown has two starters back from a team that went 28-5. One of them is 6-6 senior Stephen Davis, from West Chester, who averaged 21.7 points per game (he has 1,529 for his career) and is a Player of the Year candidate. The Golden Bears reached the D-II Sweet 16 last season, and are picked to win the PSAC East.

Villanova’s first game is Nov. 13 at the Pavilion against Fairleigh Dickinson.

Villanova, which a week ago was picked to finish first in the Big East, is ranked fifth in the preseason Associated Press (media) Top 25.

The Wildcats are No. 6 in the ESPN/USA Today (coaches) vote.

Kansas, which plays at Temple on Jan. 2, was first in both polls.

The last time the Wildcats were ranked this high to begin a season was 2005, when they were also fifth. Five months later they lost in the Final Eight to eventual national champion Florida.

The highest 'Nova has ever been ranked in the preseason was 1995, when it started at No. 3. That team would lose in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.