Villanova Basketball prevails over Texas Tech to reach the Final Four
Despite a poor shooting game, Villanova basketball was able to assert its will on the offensive glass to win. The Wildcats are back in the Final Four.
Even though Villanova basketball won, this was not a pretty game to watch for their fans. Usually one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country, the Wildcats were unable to find consistency from beyond the arc. Yet, Jay Wright’s team was gritty and did incredible work on the offensive glass. Their 20 offensive rebounds were a season-high and ended being the difference in this ballgame. The team was able to snag boards and get easy second-chance looks for buckets.
Leading the way for Villanova was Eric Paschall. Despite shooting just 2-for-7 from the field, he did all of the little things for the Wildcats, chipping in 12 total points thanks to 8-for-10 shooting from the free throw line. In addition, he was the best rebounder on the floor, snagging 14 boards, six of which were on the offensive end. He paced the team all night long despite off nights from the stars of the backcourt.
Mikal Bridges (12 points) and Jalen Brunson (15 points) made plays when necessary but otherwise struggled on the offensive end. The sensational duo shot only 7-for-24 combined from the floor.
Thankfully for Villanova, Texas Tech’s star was also struggling with his shot. For the first time all tournament, it finally seemed like Keenan Evans‘ toe injury caught up with him. The Red Raiders’ senior was held to just 12 points on 3-for-14 shooting. Even though Texas Tech played excellent defense all night long, their offense just was not there against ‘Nova.
If there was a concern from this game, it was Villanova’s vulnerability when they struggle from 3-point range. In the regular season, the Wildcats ranked 11th in the country in 3-point percentage (40.5%) while attempting trifectas on 47.2% of their total shots (14th in the country). Against Texas Tech, Villanova shot just 4-for-24 from deep (16.7%). This poor shooting allowed the Red Raiders to stay within striking range for the majority of the game.
Of course, the players are now able to put this performance out of their mind. With this win over Texas Tech, Villanova is headed to the Final Four for the second time in three years. A second-round defeat at the hands of Wisconsin was definitely disappointing a year ago but the Wildcats have definitely redeemed themselves this season.
In the Final Four, Villanova will be matched with the winner of Kansas vs. Duke. Both of these potential matchups will be extremely difficult but there is a reason why Villanova was a No. 1 seed. Jay Wright’s team is one of the most consistent in the nation and they will be entering the final weekend of the NCAA Tournament confident and prepared.
Next: Loyola-Chicago to the Final Four
Villanova should be the favorite to cut down the nets in San Antonio and they moved one step closer with their win over Texas Tech. Now in the Final Four for the sixth time in program history, the team is looking to secure their second national title in three years.