Villanova outlasted West Virginia in the Sweet 16 with a stellar second half performance

West Virginia was up six points in the second half, and the Mountaineers had an impressive Villanova team on the ropes ... and then they didn’t.

When it was over and the dust settled, the Wildcats had stymied the attacking style of defense the Mountaineers lean on as their calling card and won 90-78. They did it by draining three pointers (13-24, at a 54 percent clip)

As the second half played out, Nova’s Omari Spellman straight up took over. The freshman forward who averages 10 points per game lit up Boston with 13 of his 18 points in the second half, including this massive four-point swing that started the Wildcats’ breathing room in this game.

Not bad for a guy that looked like this just three years ago before he was in a college strength program.

But while Spellman was the shot in the arm that Jay Wright’s team needed for separation, they’re still paced by Jalen Brunson. The veteran guard had 27 points by game’s end, and showed that in the tournament, having an upperclassman leader can be huge for any team.

Now the Wildcats are back in the Elite Eight, and they broke West Virginia’s mighty press to do it. The tournament may be about upsets, but by the end the cream mostly rises to the top. Villanova’s been one of the best teams all season, and the Wildcats aren’t taking a step back when the lights burn brightest in March Madness.