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TAMPA, Fla. -- Down 18 at one point and 12 at the half to Clemson, Villanova shouldn't have had a care in the world late Friday night. Why would it? After all, this was Treacherous Tampa, where low seeds were taking out high seeds all day long.
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| Scottie Reynolds (21 points) and Jay Wright show Villanova the path to the second round. (Getty Images) |
Eighteen points down doesn't mean anything when it's a No. 12 seed. Not at this sub-regional.
Villanova turned things around in a big way in the second half, keeping with the day's theme, and rallied for a 75-69 victory over the fourth-seeded Tigers in a Midwest Region NCAA tournament game.
The Wildcats, who some felt were lucky to get into the tournament after going 20-12 during the season, advance to the next round to play Siena, which upset Connecticut earlier in the evening.
Villanova coach Jay Wright said his team took the court having seen the three other upsets wondering if there were any left. The odds said no.
Villanova said yes.
"There's got to be a name for this," Wright said. "Maybe the Tampa Turmoil. It's incredible. It's something historical in the NCAA Tournament."
In the weirdness of this pod, the Wildcats will be wearing the whites of the lower-seeded team when they meet the 13th-seeded Saints on Sunday.
"I hope we brought our home uniforms," Wright said. "I wouldn't have thought to bring them."
They might not want to wear them. Higher seeds are falling faster than Michael Jackson's popularity.
For most of Friday night, what to wear Sunday had to be the last thing Wright was thinking about. Clemson ambushed the Wildcats early with a 3-point barrage, making 7 of 17 from behind the line as the Tigers jumped to the big lead.
Villanova made a mini-run to close out the half to make it a 12-point game. In the second half, 'Nova used a toughness you would expect from a Big East team to get back into it. Led by guard Scottie Reynolds, who had a game-high 21 points, Villanova outscored Clemson 48-30 in the second half.
At times, this was a game that looked more football than basketball. Clemson is a team that presses full court the entire game, which can wear on a team. Yet Villanova was able to withstand the pressure, thanks in large part to Reynolds and freshman guard Corey Fisher, who had 17 points.
"This game was like a Big East game," Reynolds said. "I told coach after it I feel like I played on blacktop. My feet are burning, either from running so much or something is wrong."
The Wildcats had a 64-60 lead with 3:21 left and appeared on their way to taking control when Wright got an ill-advised technical foul. Wright badgered the officials for much of the night, but this time he pushed it too hard. Clemson's Terrence Oglesby made both free throws and brought Clemson some life. The Tigers tied it at 66, but Villanova took control in the final two minutes.
"I was hoping I didn't blow it," Wright said. "I let a curse word out. I deserved it."
Let one out? Sitting two rows behind him, I thought I was sitting behind a truck driver who had just been cut off. At one point, he screamed violently at one of his players.
"You ---," Wright yelled. "This is the NCAA tournament!"
After what transpired Friday, it's a truly special tournament for those who sat in the St. Pete Times Forum.
Call it the Turmoil in Tampa. We can't wait until Sunday.