Two More Teams Dance Their Way Into the Sweet 16 in Brooklyn

(Photo by John Jones – Double G Media)

Villanova vs. Iowa

In Brooklyn Sunday afternoon, Villanova over came all of the talk about not making it past the first round of the tournament and finally made their way into the Sweet Sixteen after not being in it since 2009. Winning 87-68 against No. 7 seed Iowa, they showed more than a Sweet Sixteen candidate.

Unlike most victorious teams this March Madness, Villanova had a fantastic first half. Shooting treys, rebounding, passing the ball, and communicating well, the Wildcats put on quite the show. All week long the team has been talking about how important it was to make it to the Sweet Sixteen and how much the seniors on the team wanted to make it happen.

Josh Hart led Villanova with a game-high 19 points. In the first half, the Wildcats also had a 12-0 advantage off turnovers. After both teams were tied, 13-13, Villanova outscored Iowa, 41-16, to give them a 54-29 lead at half time. This set a program record for Villanova for points in a half in an NCAA tournament game.

During their hot run, the Wildcats received contributions from almost every player who was on the floor. Jalen Brunson and Phil Booth hit multiple treys. Iowa’s center, Adam Woodbury, who scored the winning shot in Iowa’s win versus Temple on Friday night only scored one point the whole game.

In only the first 20 minutes of the game, Villanova shot 7 for 12 behind the arc and over 60% from the field. They also had six steals. Iowa made no free throws in the first half. Star for the Wildcats, Kris Jenkins led the team with 12 points at halftime, with both Hart and Brunson putting up 10 each.

In the second half, the Villanova lead shot up to 34 points early on. Jarrod Uthoff added 16 points for the Hawkeyes, also making the team’s first free throw with 8 minutes 45 seconds left in the game. Baer put up 15 for Iowa.

Villanova will play No. 3 seed Miami for the Sweet Sixteen round in Louisville, Kentucky, Thursday.

(Photo by John Jones – Double G Media)te

Notre Dame vs. Stephen F. Austin

Game two of the second round in Brooklyn had people on their feet throughout the entire game. Both Stephen F. Austin and Norte Dame were close almost the whole game, especially towards the end. Both teams were hoping to come out on top to make their way into the Sweet Sixteen.

Seconds away from becoming a Cinderella team, the Lumberjacks had their dream taken from them by Notre Dame’s Rex Pflueger, one of the most talked about plays of the day. To win the game for the Irish, Pflueger tipped the ball into the basket for the game-winning basket with only 1.5 seconds left in the entire game, winning 76-75. These were the only points Pflueger had made the entire game.

Stephen F Austin’s Thomas Walkup scored 21 points and had five rebounds but that just wasn’t enough to beat the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame, on the other hand, had three players score double-digits, V.J. Beachem, Demetrius Jackson, and Zach Auguste, who also had 15 rebounds, making him have a double-double. Even with the help Norte Dame’s top players, a freshman on the team scored the winning basket.

The Fighting Irish are on their way to their second consecutive Sweet 16. They will play Wisconsin in Philadelphia on Friday night.