Villanova Reaches Final Four After Almost Letting Houston Come Back

SAN ANTONIO — Saturday’s spherical of 8 matchup between No. 2-seeded Villanova and No. 5-seeded Houston was paying homage to the school basketball video games performed many years in the past: Two dogged, glass-devouring defensive behemoths scratching and clawing and barreling by defenders for tough-to-come by factors.

One crew, the decrease seeded Cougars, had aspirations of successful its first nationwide championship in program historical past, and with one of the best roster it has had in years to do it. The opposite, Villanova, has been trying to reposition itself as considered one of Division I’s most feared packages after a number of dismal event seasons.

Coach Jay Wright’s Villanova crew was too aggressive, too poised and too targeted for Houston, which appeared ill-prepared to face an opponent it had a lot in widespread with. And regardless that the Cougars made a giant run within the second half to slim what had gave the impression to be turning right into a romp, the Wildcats by no means relinquished the lead and gained, 50-44, to advance to the Closing 4 for the fourth time below Wright and the primary time since 2018.

With simply over a minute left within the recreation, Jermaine Samuels, Villanova’s main scorer, delivered a driving layup to provide the Wildcats a 6-point lead, which had blunted Houston’s makes an attempt to come back again from 11 factors down halfway by the half.Houston’s protection, which had been suffocating throughout its second half run, compelled a turnover however couldn’t capitalize, and by the point Villanova’s star guard Collin Gillespie drained two late free throws, the Cougars’ possibilities had been gone.

“Groups that cry care,” Houston’s coach Kelvin Sampson mentioned after the sport. “There have been a whole lot of tears in that locker room.”

Wright’s crew, after an inconsistent common season that noticed it fall out of nationwide rankings, gave the impression to be enjoying its greatest basketball when it wanted to be. The Wildcats have now gained 9 straight video games, together with three wins within the Massive East event for that convention title.

Houston’s protection and skill to guzzle offensive rebounds had been an impenetrable mixture within the event till Saturday night.

The Cougars outmuscled and outmatched the College of Alabama at Birmingham, plus Illinois and Arizona, by no means having met an opponent absolutely ready for his or her assortment of power, measurement and athleticism. Till operating into Villanova.

The Wildcats managed the matchup the best way they typically do: utilizing lengthy possessions to arrange attractiveness and dictating the tempo.

Villanova’s potential to neutralize Houston’s strengths helped the crew outlast the Cougars, whilst Houston pulled inside 2 factors because it tried to come back again. Houston feeds off its opponents’ errors, however Villanova is a disciplined crew that limits them.

The Cougars, recognized their potential to field out and create additional possessions on offense, may solely pull in two offensive rebounds within the first half, and couldn’t rely on their potential to create turnovers by attacking ball screens.

On offense, the Cougars had been inconsistent, trying the worst they’d all event.

“So we had a whole lot of alternatives. They didn’t go in,” Sampson mentioned. “That occurs.”

However Villanova underperformed there as nicely. The most effective 3-point taking pictures groups within the nation, the Wildcats shot lower than 30 p.c from past the arc within the first 20 minutes, going into the half with out a single level from Gillespie.

Samuels, who powered Villanova over Michigan within the spherical of 16, completed with 16 factors and 10 rebounds.

Houston’s program had been dormant for years earlier than Sampson’s arrival in 2014.

But in opposition to Villanova, that identification that he had constructed, of being robust and hyperathletic, much like the best way the Cougars had performed many years in the past, wasn’t sufficient. Just a few missed photographs and a few misplaced rebounds saved Sampson’s crew wanting the Closing 4 it had needed.