Villanova breezes past Delaware 80-60 in NCAA 1st round
AP
Mar 18, 2022
PITTSBURGH (AP) Villanova Wildcats's hangover from another Big East title lasted maybe 10 minutes. Once the Wildcats found their footing, they ran away from scrappy Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens.
Justin Moore scored 21 points, Collin Gillespie added 14 and second-seeded Villanova had little trouble with the 15th-seeded Blue Hens, breezing to an 80-60 victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday.
The Wildcats (27-7) used a 35-10 surge spanning the end of the first half and the start of the second to turn an eight-point deficit into a blowout. Villanova will meet Ohio State in the second round of the South Region on Sunday. The No. 7-seeded Buckeyes downed Loyola Chicago 54-41 in the first of four games at PPG Paints Arena.
Villanova coach Jay Wright worried about his team's legs after watching conference rivals Marquette and UConn flame out of the NCAAs quickly during first-round losses on Thursday.
''They just looked worn down,'' Wright said.
The Wildcats, not so much. While Delaware (22-13) showed some early fight against its northern neighbor in a meeting of programs separated by 43 miles on the map and considerably more in the college basketball landscape, it wasn't nearly enough.
Villanova overwhelmed the Blue Hens under a barrage of 3-pointers to begin the school's quest for a third national title in seven seasons.
''I think over the course of the game, we decided to get a feel for what (Delaware) wanted to do, and we got comfortable with making plays for each other, and that's what it's all about,'' said Wildcats forward Jermaine Samuels, who had 15 points and nine rebounds.
Jyare Davis led Delaware with 17 points but over the course of 40 minutes, Villanova exposed the considerable gulf between schools that are bitter rivals in several sports, just not basketball.
Jameer Nelson Jr., the son of the former Saint Joseph's and NBA star who regularly battled the Wildcats as part of the city's Big Five, was limited to eight points on 3-of-13 shooting.
''(We) put a little scare in them,'' Delaware coach Martin Ingelsby said. ''I think the end of the first half and early part of the second half they were able to extend that lead and we were battling uphill from there.''
Early on, the Colonial Athletic Association champion Blue Hens didn't show any nerves or fear against one of the sport's bluebloods.
Graduate forward Dylan Painter, who began his career at Villanova, gave Delaware an early 15-8 lead, easing any anxiety that the stage would be too big. Guard Kevin Anderson made it a point to drink in the moment. Maybe a little too much.
''As soon as we started appreciating it, they started hitting 3s,'' Anderson said. ''I think we appreciated it too long.''
Gillespie got Villanova on track with a pair of 3-pointers, Samuels and Daniels added one each and the Wildcats closed the first half with a 13-2 burst to take a 35-25 lead into the break.
Villanova's momentum carried over to the second half. Moore poured in 12 points in the first five minutes - including three 3-pointers - as the Wildcats' advantage quickly ballooned to 20 points. Delaware would not get within 16 the rest of the way.
COSTLY COLLISION
Villanova assistant Dwayne Anderson, a captain on the 2009 Wildcats team that reached the Final Four, had to be helped off the floor after getting slammed into by Samuels while Samuels was chasing down a loose ball with the Wildcats up big late in the second half.
Asked if maybe he could have eased up with the Wildcats comfortably in front, Samuels shook his head.
''That's not what we do here at Villanova,'' Samuels said. ''We're going to play a full 40 (minutes) no matter what's going on around us.''
FIRST FAN
President Joe Biden filled out his brackets, picking Delaware over Gonzaga in the final to win the NCAA Tournament. No surprise, he's a proud alum.
Biden also selected Delaware to win the women's tournament.
''I'm proud of all the athletes competing in this year's NCAA tournament,'' he wrote on Twitter. ''But at the end of the day, I'm a (at)UDelaware guy. Go Blue Hens!''
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1st Half
DEL
Fightin' Blue Hens
25
NOVA
Wildcats
35
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Andrew Carr vs. Brandon Slater (Jermaine Samuels gains possession)
19:42
Collin Gillespie misses three point jump shot
19:40
Jyare Davis defensive rebound
19:18
+2
Jyare Davis makes two point layup (Andrew Carr assists)
2-0
18:55
+2
Eric Dixon makes two point hook shot (Collin Gillespie assists)
2-2
18:32
Jameer Nelson Jr. misses three point jump shot
18:30
Brandon Slater defensive rebound
18:21
+2
Justin Moore makes two point driving layup
2-4
18:05
+2
Andrew Carr makes two point pullup jump shot
4-4
17:39
Jermaine Samuels misses two point layup
17:37
Ebby Asamoah defensive rebound
17:31
Ebby Asamoah misses three point jump shot
17:29
Collin Gillespie defensive rebound
17:22
Jyare Davis blocks Jermaine Samuels's two point layup
17:20
Andrew Carr defensive rebound
17:08
Jameer Nelson Jr. misses two point layup
17:06
Justin Moore defensive rebound
17:02
Brandon Slater turnover (traveling)
16:39
+2
Kevin Anderson makes two point driving layup
6-4
16:23
Collin Gillespie misses three point jump shot
16:21
Andrew Carr defensive rebound
15:58
Ebby Asamoah misses three point jump shot
15:56
Jyare Davis offensive rebound
15:55
Caleb Daniels personal foul (Jyare Davis draws the foul)
15:55
TV timeout
15:36
Jameer Nelson Jr. misses two point finger roll layup
15:34
Brandon Slater defensive rebound
15:28
Jameer Nelson Jr. personal foul (Collin Gillespie draws the foul)
15:20
Justin Moore misses two point hook shot
15:18
Jermaine Samuels offensive rebound
15:12
Justin Moore misses three point jump shot
15:10
Dylan Painter defensive rebound
14:46
+3
Kevin Anderson makes three point jump shot
9-4
14:13
+2
Jermaine Samuels makes two point layup
9-6
13:51
+2
Jyare Davis makes two point jump shot (Jameer Nelson Jr. assists)
11-6
13:19
+2
Jermaine Samuels makes two point reverse layup
11-8
12:56
Brandon Slater personal foul (Dylan Painter draws the foul)
12:50
+2
Kevin Anderson makes two point floating jump shot
13-8
12:34
Collin Gillespie misses two point jump shot
12:32
Ryan Allen defensive rebound
12:25
Ryan Allen misses three point jump shot
12:23
Collin Gillespie defensive rebound
12:14
Caleb Daniels misses two point jump shot
12:12
Dylan Painter defensive rebound
11:54
Jameer Nelson Jr. misses two point step back jump shot
11:52
Eric Dixon defensive rebound
11:39
Chris Arcidiacono misses two point layup
11:37
Jameer Nelson Jr. defensive rebound
11:26
+2
Dylan Painter makes two point layup
15-8
11:08
Ryan Allen personal foul (Justin Moore draws the foul)
11:08
TV timeout
11:02
Justin Moore misses two point jump shot
11:00
Fightin Blue Hens defensive rebound
10:43
Andrew Carr turnover (lost ball) (Eric Dixon steals)
10:20
+2
Brandon Slater makes two point driving layup
15-10
10:20
Andrew Carr shooting foul (Brandon Slater draws the foul)
10:20
+1
Brandon Slater makes regular free throw 1 of 1
15-11
10:01
+2
Jyare Davis makes two point turnaround jump shot
17-11
9:45
Caleb Daniels misses three point jump shot
9:43
Caleb Daniels offensive rebound
9:43
Andrew Carr personal foul (Eric Dixon draws the foul)
9:24
Eric Dixon misses three point jump shot
9:22
Jermaine Samuels offensive rebound
9:16
+3
Collin Gillespie makes three point jump shot (Jermaine Samuels assists)
17-14
8:46
+2
Dylan Painter makes two point layup
19-14
8:25
+2
Eric Dixon makes two point layup (Jermaine Samuels assists)
19-16
8:25
Dylan Painter shooting foul (Eric Dixon draws the foul)
8:25
+1
Eric Dixon makes regular free throw 1 of 1
19-17
8:07
Ryan Allen misses three point jump shot
8:05
Brandon Slater defensive rebound
7:42
+3
Caleb Daniels makes three point jump shot (Justin Moore assists)
19-20
7:09
+2
Ryan Allen makes two point driving layup
21-20
6:52
Justin Moore misses two point pullup jump shot
6:50
Jyare Davis defensive rebound
6:49
TV timeout
6:37
Jermaine Samuels blocks Jyare Davis's two point layup
6:35
Collin Gillespie defensive rebound
6:25
Bryan Antoine misses two point jump shot
6:23
Jermaine Samuels offensive rebound
6:17
Jermaine Samuels turnover (bad pass) (Jameer Nelson Jr. steals)
6:06
+2
Jyare Davis makes two point hook shot (Dylan Painter assists)
23-20
5:38
+2
Jermaine Samuels makes two point driving dunk
23-22
5:21
Jermaine Samuels personal foul (Dylan Painter draws the foul)
5:14
Jameer Nelson Jr. misses two point step back jump shot