Wildcats Fall Short in Comeback Attempt

Down by as many as 20 points early in the game, Villanova showed the same resolve fans have seen from the team all season to fight their way back and make this an exciting contest.  The Wildcats stayed the course and continued to chip away at the lead, even taking a one-point lead in the second half.  That being said, Villanova played just as well as North Carolina throughout the evening; the only difference was that the ACC team was the one hitting its three-point shots.  The Tar Heels finished 11-21 from behind the arc, connecting with a big three whenever Villanova was ready to pull ahead, while the Wildcats only hit 4 of 21 three-point attempts.  The achilles heel for the Wildcats all year has been their three-point defense and that proved to be the difference in their final game of the season, as they fell to the Tar Heels 78-71.

Freshman Ryan Arcidiacono had a poor showing in his first taste of tournament action, finishing just 2-11 from the field and with more turnovers (4) than assists (3).  However, a trio of his teammates had excellent performances to keep Villanova within striking distance.  Mouphtaou Yarou left everything on the court in his last collegiate game, finishing with 17 points and 8 rebounds.  Sophomores JayVaughn Pinkston and Darrun Hilliard paced the team with 20 and 18 points, respectively, on a combined 16-30 from the field.

For North Carolina, P.J. Hairston continued his torrid play of late, finishing with a game-high 23 points on 5-8 shooting from downtown.  Reggie Bullock and Marcus Paige joined in the three-point barrage, combining for 29 points on 5-10 shooting from behind the arc.  The Tar Heels will need to shoot that well from the perimeter to win any more games in the tournament, as James McAdoo was their only significant threat from inside the arc.

Overall, this was a great season of growth for the Wildcats.  After a down year that saw them finish just 13-19, Villanova made it back to the tournament and played even with one of the premier programs in college basketball.  Arcidiacono emerged as the next in a long line of great Villanova guards.  The only rotational player graduating is Mouphtaou Yarou, but the Wildcats hope freshman Daniel Ochefu will be able to step into that role going forward.  The future looks bright for fans of the team on the Main Line.