It's been a while since we've seen Villanova control a game from start to finish like that. Siena certainly had lost the mojo it had in the win over Vanderbilt, but the Wildcats made baskets early and kept making them late.
The final score was 84-72, and the margin was right around that for most of the game.
So the Big 5 sends a team to the Sweet 16, and the stage is set for an interesting game between Villanova and Kansas in Detroit on Friday. The Jayhawks are an outstanding team, one of the nation's true elite -- and number one in Pomeroy's rankings. On top of that, they'll certainly have the house at Ford Field.
But the Wildcats have one thing KU doesn't: a guaranteed go-to player, Scottie Reynolds. That can be a good thing and a bad thing, because you know Bill Self will make sure his players are all over Reynolds defensively.
If the game is close, though, having a guy who will take the ball the way Reynolds does is a big card to be able to play.
Jayhawks fans will say their guy is Mario Chalmers, and he's certainly the closest thing they've got. He's not a true star, though. Maybe that's a testament to how balanced Kansas is, with Russell Robinson and Brandon Rush among those who are just as talented as Chalmers.
We'll see come Friday night. For now, let's consider the final stats from today.
Siena shot 20-for-56 from the field (35.7%), including 6-for-21 from three-point range (28.6%) and 14-for-35 from two-point range (40.0%), and 26-for-39 from the free throw line (66.7%). Ten offensive rebounds, 24 defensive rebounds, nine assists, 13 turnovers, eight steals, four blocks and 19 fouls committed.
That adds up to 76 possessions and 0.945 points per possession.
Alex Franklin led the Saints with 18 points on 5-for-9 shooting; Edwin Ubiles recorded a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Villanova shot an impressive 30-for-56 from the field (53.6%), including 6-for-13 from three-point range (46.2%) and 24-for-43 from two-point range (55.8%), and 18-for-24 from the free throw line (75.0%). Six offensive rebounds, 31 defensive rebounds, 15 assists, 15 turnovers, eight steals, two blocks and 27 fouls committed.
That adds up to 76 possessions and 1.112 points per possession.
Corey Stokes scored 20 points on 8-for-12 shooting for the Wildcats, but the line of the game goes to the game's high scorer, Scottie Reynolds.
Name |
Min |
FG |
FT |
3pt |
OR |
DR |
TR |
A |
S |
TO |
Blk |
PF |
Eff |
Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
S. Reynolds |
37 |
7-15 |
7-9 |
4-7 |
1 |
7 |
8 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
27 |
25 |
I write primarily about the University of Pennsylvania and the Ivy League, but I also cover the other basketball and football teams across the city from time to time. In the spring, you'll find coverage of the Penn Relays here.
In addition to all of that, I write Philly.com's soccer blog, The Goalkeeper.
You can contact me by email by clicking here.
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