Corey Fisher scored 20 of his 21 points in the first half and added five rebounds and four assists as No. 7 Villanova handed No. 25 Cincinnati its first loss of the season, 72-61, on Sunday.

Maalik Wayns added 15 points and five assists for the Wildcats (14-1, 3-0 Big East), who went 28 of 33 from the free throw line in their ninth straight victory.

Fisher was on fire in the first half, knocking down 3 of 4 from beyond the arc and going 9 of 9 from the free throw line as Villanova took a 39-23 lead into the break. The Bearcats struggled from the floor in the first 20 minutes, going 9 of 25, including 1 of 9 from 3-point range.

The Wildcats extended the lead to as much as 46-25 early in the second half, before going cold from the floor.

Cincinnati (15-1, 2-1) cut the deficit to 57-50 on Cashmere Wright’s free throws with 9:02 left, but Wayns hit two free throws and Dominic Cheek completed a three-point play to put Villanova back in control.

The Wildcats get another test on Wednesday when they host No. 23 Louisville before stepping out of conference to take on Maryland next weekend.