The Villanova Wildcats became the first No. 1 seed to go down in the 2015 NCAA Tournament, falling to the No. 8 N.C. State Wolfpack, 71-68.
N.C. State vs. Villanova recap: 3 things we learned from the Wolfpack taking down the No. 1 Wildcats
Villanova is the first No. 1 seed to go down in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Things got interesting in the final minutes when Villanova rallied to a two-point deficit. They had a chance to tie or take the lead when Trevor Lacey threw away the ball with 36 seconds left, but in a running theme of the game, Dylan Ennis missed a wide-open three. The Wolfpack salted away the game with free throws.
The Wildcats found themselves in trouble early on, shooting just 28.6 percent from the field in the first half. N.C. State didn’t pull away with any big leads, but the Wolfpack did much better on offense with a 48.1 field goal percentage. N.C. State closed out the half on a 7-0 run and went into halftime leading, 32-28.
The Wolfpack continued taking it to Villanova in the second half, opening up an 11-point lead at one point while the Wildcats forgot how to score. Villanova tried clawing back into the game, but N.C. State still kept the Wildcats at arm’s length. Any attempt at a comeback was quickly cut off by N.C. State.
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Wake up! It’s Basketball: ‘Nova falls, UK rolls
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3 things we learned
1. Anyone got a basket to spare? Villanova’s offensive struggles became downright comical in the second half, with the team missing easy layups and jacking up desperate three-pointers that predictably bricked. The Wildcats finished the game shooting just 31.1 percent from the field and 9-of-28 on three-pointers. Villanova ranked 23rd in the country in points per game, but the Wildcats picked the worst day possible for their shots to stop falling.
2. N.C. State deserves credit, though. The Wolfpack did an admirable job on defense, shutting down any real chances to drive towards the basket and forcing Wildcats into bad shots. They weren't any slouches on offense, shooting 45.3 percent from the field. Trevor Lacey led the way with 17 points and Abdul-Malik Abu had 12 rebounds.
3. More March disappointment in Philly. The Wildcats haven’t advanced past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament since reaching the national championship game in 2009. This was their best chance to do so in some time, with a No. 1 seed and friendly bracket draw. Instead, Villanova will be going home with more questions than answers, having fallen short of expectations once again.
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