No. 16 Villanova started off Big East play the way it finished off last season: dominant.

Led by guard Ryan Arcidiacono's 27 points and a stellar effort from beyond the arc, the Wildcats easily won their conference opener over previously undefeated, No. 6 Xavier 95-64 in Villanova, Pa.

There was also a scary moment in the game. Xavier freshman guard Edmond Sumner was removed from the court on a stretcher and taken to a local hospital after a collision with Villanova players.

ESPN reported that Sumner was talking as he was taken to the hospital.

Villanova controlled the game from the start. A three-pointer by Arcidiacono four minutes into the game started a barrage of triples by Villanova (11-2, 1-0 Big East), which hit six in a six-minute span to open up a 31-15 lead. The Wildcats hit eight three-pointers in a first half that ended with Villanova holding a 48-30 lead.

Junior wing Josh Hart took over from there, scoring Villanova's first 13 points of the second half to push the lead to 27 points, and Xavier (12-1, 0-1) was never able to make a serious run over the closing 20 minutes.

For the game, Villanova was 13 of 25 from beyond the three-point arc. Hart finished with 15 points, junior forward Kris Jenkins had 13 while senior center Daniel Ochefu had 12 points and 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season.

Senior forward James Farr led the Musketeers with 15 points.

Last year, Villanova won 16 conference games to take the regular-season Big East title and also captured the league tournament. Their victories came by an average margin of 16.3 points, including several wins of 30 or more.