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Villanova was bad today. That's the only way to put it. The Wildcats were just bad.

And yet they won. Such is the Madness of March.

The day started out poorly for the Wildcats, as news leaked that Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher, Villanova's dynamic starting backcourt, would be coming off the bench for Jay Wright's club due to issues involving leadership. Wright wouldn't get into specifics of what the two actually did to warrant the benching (after the game he said it wasn't anything disciplinary), but we all saw what the result was.

And it wasn't leadership.

Villanova came out playing sloppy basketball on Thursday, and it continued throughout the entire game. The Wildcats looked awful while running halfcourt offense. There isn't much else to say about it. They weren't hitting jumpers and Robert Morris wasn't giving up dribble penetration. As frustration started to set in, Villanova started going "1-on-5". It's not uncommon to see a team that is about to be upset start to force the issue when loaded down with anxiety. When you are a two seed that is on the brink of being embarrassed on national television by a school from somewhere called " Moon Township" (that's in Pennsylvania, for the record), there's no question you start to feel the pressure. Villanova was trying to make up a deficit - a deficit that got as big as 55-47 with under four minutes left - on one shot.

But that is when Scottie Reynolds took over.

The senior has been around the block when it comes to crunch-time basketball. It didn't bother him that he was mired in one of the worst shooting performances of his career. (Hey Jay, you might not want to bring Scottie off the bench anymore. Just a thought.) In the last four minutes, Reynolds started attacking the basket, accentuating all contact he received and earning himself trips to the foul line in the process. All told, Reynolds drew a foul on four straight possessions, hitting seven of eight free throws to cap a 9-1 run and tie the game at 56. The two teams then traded baskets, sending us to overtime.

In the OT, Villanova got a couple early buckets from its bigs and a huge three from Reynolds, as the Cats opened up a 67-61 lead and hung on for the win. RMU wouldn't go away, as a steal and a 28-foot three from Karon Abraham gave the Colonials a chance to tie the game in regulation. However, a desperation three at the buzzer bounced off the rim, and Villanova advanced.

Two more notes about this game: First of all, this (widespread national) complaining about the refereeing late in the game could have been made moot with execution down the stretch. Yes, Villanova got a couple friendly whistles late in regulation, but the Wildcats also forced RMU into a tough three (that missed) and two turnovers down the stretch. With better possessions, the Colonials would likely be advancing.

Second, Mr. Abraham deserves praise for his performance. That young man - a freshman - came to play today for Robert Morris. He hit big shots throughout the game, scoring nine of the first 11 for RMU. He hit a hot streak of three straight triples that gave RMU the belief that it could play with one of the big boys.

What's Next:

Villanova advances to face St. Mary's in the second round at 1:05 pm Eastern time on Saturday. For those that haven't seen him, Omar Samhan was a monster today for SMC against Richmond. Villanova is a similar team to Richmond in that the Wildcats lack size on the interior. If you can slow down Samhan, you will slow down the Gaels. It will be interesting to see if Villanova can do that.


By: Matt Zemek
BigEast-fans.com Staff Writer