(3) Villanova 80, (14) American 67
On pace to fall victim to a massive upset, No. 3 Villanova shifted course in the second half against No. 14 American and surged to an 80-67 win. The Wildcats were focusing on their perimeter game during the first half, but they couldn’t keep pace with the torrid Eagles. American made eight three-pointers in the first half and led by 10 at the break.
After halftime, American stretched the lead to 14 when coach Jay Wright had the Wildcats start attacking the lane and feeding Villanova’s post players. The strategic shift fueled a huge comeback that included a 15-0 run during a seven-minute stretch. Villanova’s defense clamped down on American’s shooters, holding them to only two second-half three-pointers. Dwayne Anderson and Dante Cunningham, Villanova’s primary post players, each scored 25 points to lead the Wildcats.
