Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Villanova Upset Should Guarantee Tournament Bid

         Villanova knocked off the 5th ranked Georgetown Hoyas tonight at the Wells Fargo Center to almost guarantee an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.  The Wildcats defeated the Hoyas by a final score of 67-57 to notch their third victory over a top-five opponent this season.  The win to finish off the regular season helps boost the Wildcats resume and is a bit of a pick-me-up after a tough overtime loss to #23 Pittsburgh a few days ago in a game that Villanova should have won.  The win improves Villanova's overall record to 19-12 and 10-8 in Big East Play.  Heading into the Big East Tournament, the Wildcats look dangerous and appear to be playing some of their best basketball of the season.  The Wildcats won both halves of the game in a hard fought battle against the Hoyas. 
          The Wildcats were led in the contest by sophomore forward JayVaughn Pinkston, who scored 20 while grabbing 4 rebounds and collecting 3 steals. Villanova also received strong performances from guards Darrun Hilliard and Ryan Arcidiacono, who had 14 and 11 points respectively, with Arcidiacono dishing out 5 assists as well.  Mouphtaou Yarou had a strong game on the glass, grabbing 11 rebounds for the Wildcats while also scoring 6 points.  The win over an extremely talented Georgetown squad should all but assure the Wildcats of an at-large bid after entering the game listed as one of Joe Lunardi's "Last Four In."  The Wildcats appear to be hitting their stride at just the right time, and could prove to be a tough draw come tournament time.  So after tonight's exhilarating win, Jay Wright and the crew can send out their shoes to be polished because come selection Sunday, the Wildcats should be dancing.

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