Maalik Wayns scored 19 points and Corey Fisher added 16 and eight assists as No. 12 Villanova escaped with a 84-81 victory over Big 5 foe La Salle on Sunday.

Villanova (8-1) fell behind 20-6 in the early going before rallying back. Corey Stokes hit a 3-pointer to wake up the Wildcats’ offensive, which fought back to take a 31-28 lead when Dominic Cheek hit one from beyond the arc with 4:48 left in the first.

Villanova held a one-point edge at the break and the lead changed hands eight times in the second, before Sam Mills’ 3-pointer made it 79-78 in favor of La Salle with 1:46 on the clock. But the Wildcats weren’t done, taking the lead back when Wayns converted a three-point play 30 seconds later.

The Wildcats have not lost to the Explorers (6-4) since 2001 and have now taken out three straight Big 5 schools with previous victories over Pennsylvania and St. Joseph’s already in the books. They will get a chance to sweep the Philadelphia battles when they host Temple on December 30 in the final tune-up before Big East play begins.