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BOSTON - When Villanova's players ran back to huddle with Coach Jay Wright during a timeout with 11:35 remaining in Sunday's East Region Final against Texas Tech, they had missed nine of their last 10 shots and had not scored in nearly three minutes. At that point, the Wildcats were shooting just 34 percent from the field and had made an abysmal 4 of 17 three-point shots. They had committed nine turnovers, one shy of their season average, and their stars, Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges, had combined for just 15 points on 14 shots.
Yet they led by 11 points and seemed comfortably in control.
Top-seeded Villanova reached the Final Four for the second time in three years with its 71-59 victory over No. 3 Texas Tech, extending a dominant March in which it has won all eight of its games by double digits. But instead of its prolific offense and deadly three-point efficiency, it relied Sunday on full-throttle defense, free throw shooting and a commanding afternoon on the glass.
Villanova won the rebounding battle 53-35, including 22 offensive boards; those led not only to eight second-chance points, but control of the pace with long, methodical possessions. And when it counted down the stretch, Villanova's championship pedigree came through in critical moments.
Texas Tech pulled within five points on three occasions late in the second half; one of those appeared to be a prime chance to cut it to three. But when guard Keenan Evans threaded the needle with the pass in the lane to an open Zhaire Smith with just more than five minutes remaining, Villanova forward Eric Paschall swooped in for a block that led to a layup in transition. On the next possession, after Texas Tech responded with a bucket and as Villanova faced a low shot clock, Wildcats guard Donte DiVincenzo cleaned up a Bridges miss with a putback dunk.
Texas Tech reached the first Elite Eight for the first time largely because it had cultivated the country's deepest rotation - with eight players averaging five points and three rebounds or more - and a defensive efficiency that entered the day ranked fourth in the country. It lived up to the billing for long stretches, with the Red Raiders disrupting the country's most explosive offense team.
Villanova trailed by seven early. Brunson missed his first five shots. Bridges looked bothered by Texas Tech's length and athleticism and picked up two early fouls, as did talented freshman Omari Spellman.
Texas Tech Coach Chris Beard, whose eccentricities and bold personality had made him a one-of-a-kind interview during the NCAA tournament, seemed content with his team following a blueprint that so many others had in previous meetings against Villanova - particularly in ordering long and methodical possessions that would drain the clock and keep the potent Wildcats turning the game into a shootout. For a while, it seemed to work.
But Villanova didn't allow the pace to be dictated even as it stumbled through its worst offensive performance of the postseason. Defense and rebounding helped spark a 7-0 run over the final 3:01 of the first half to take a 13-point advantage into the locker room.
The final offensive statistical lines for the Wildcats were forgettable. Brunson finished with 15 points on 14 shots, Bridges had 12 on 10 shots, Paschall and DiVincenzo each finished with 12 even though they combined for 18 shots. Villanova finished shooting just 33 percent (19 for 57) from the field, including 4 for 24 from three-point range. After hanging 90 points on West Virginia in the East Region semifinals on Friday night, they simply looked out of tune offensively.
But the Wildcats earned stops, as Texas Tech shot just 30 percent from the field. And the Wildcats made free throws down the stretch, finishing 29 for 35 from the line, compared to Texas Tech's 14 for 18.
And Brunson made one final play befitting a candidate for national player of the year. With Texas Tech trailing by six and in desperate need of a stop with just less than two minutes remaining, Brunson veered into the lane with the ball to get to favorite post-up spot. Then he backed down his defender and used his body to finish a contested, off-balance layup that finally killed the Red Raiders.
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