ROSEMONT, Ill. -- Josh Hart scored 18 points and No. 1 Villanova celebrated its first game as the nation's top team with an 86-59 victory over DePaul on Tuesday night.

Kris Jenkins made three 3-pointers and finished with 13 points as the Wildcats (21-3, 11-1) rolled to their 13th win in their last 14 games. They moved two games clear of fifth-ranked Xavier for the Big East lead after the Musketeers lost 70-56 at Creighton.

Villanova turned 19 DePaul turnovers into 19 points in its debut in the top spot of The Associated Press poll. The Wildcats had climbed to No. 2 on six prior occasions before Oklahoma and North Carolina lost last weekend, clearing the way for them to ascend to No. 1.

Coach Jay Wright's team looked quite comfortable on top of the heap, building a 36-16 advantage in points in the paint. Jalen Brunson, who starred at nearby Stevenson High School, had 11 points, and Daniel Ochefu scored 11 in his return after missing three games due to a concussion.

Eli Cain scored 15 points for DePaul (8-16, 2-10), which shot 41 per cent from the field in its fourth loss in five games.

The Wildcats showed no signs of any jitters in their first game in the top spot. They opened with a 16-2 run and led by at least seven points the rest of the way, turning in a very business-like performance in their 11th straight victory in the series.

Mikal Bridges' rebound basket made it 41-29 at halftime, and Villanova broke it open with 15 straight points at the start of the second half. The run began with three straight 3-pointers, two by Jenkins, and Brunson finished it off with six straight points.

Hart's jumper with 13:55 left made it 61-34 and moved the junior guard to 1,001 career points. He became the 61st player to reach the milestone with the Wildcats.

TIP-INS

Villanova: Darryl Reynolds scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half. ... The Wildcats improved to 7-0 in Big East road games this season. ... Brunson's father is former Bulls guard Rick Brunson, who also served as an assistant coach with the NBA team.

DePaul: G Billy Garrett Jr. connected with 12:14 left in the first half to make it 700 straight games for the Blue Demons with at least one 3-pointer. ... DePaul dropped to 2-4 against ranked teams this season. ... DePaul's last victory over Villanova was an 84-76 win on Jan. 3, 2008.

UP NEXT

Villanova hosts St. John's on Saturday night.

DePaul visits St. John's on Feb. 17.