GREENVILLE, S.C. — The round-of-16 sport was slipping away from Miami, as Villanova closed a 21-point hole.
However the ninth-seeded Hurricanes stopped the reversal within the closing minute, scoring 6 straight factors to beat fourth-seeded Villanova on Friday, 70-65, to advance to its first round-of-8 sport within the ladies’s N.C.A.A. event.
“I can’t imagine it,” Miami Coach Katie Meier stated. “I’m not going to behave cool. That is superior.”
Villanova had cruised to the spherical of 16, beating its lower-seeded opponents by a mean of 18 factors. The Wildcats gave the impression to be constructing for a run behind their star, Maddy Siegrist, the highest scorer in Division I.
However from the start of Friday’s sport, it was clear that this matchup can be a lot totally different from Villanova’s earlier video games.
Miami’s protection smothered Villanova’s ballhandlers, hounding them as quickly as they inbounded the ball. Miami’s velocity and physicality made up for a peak drawback and compelled rushed photographs and turnovers, inflicting Villanova’s offense to look confused. By the point Villanova appeared to have figured Miami’s protection out within the second half, it seemed to be too late.
However Siegrist, who scored a game-high 31 factors, led a livid rally within the third and fourth quarters as Miami tightened up, seemingly afraid of spiraling. Nonetheless, the Hurricanes held shut regardless that they blew their lead.
Siegrist, who might go away faculty early to declare for the W.N.B.A. draft, tearfully stated after the sport that her future was unsure.
“I’ve received to speak to my dad and mom and stuff,” Siegrist stated. “However I couldn’t be extra grateful for the chance to be right here. Like so many good folks, and it’s actually in regards to the folks, take the basketball half out of it, the recollections and folks I’ll cherish without end.”
Miami had confronted a way more tough path to the spherical of 16 than Villanova, with shut video games and a win over Indiana, a No. 1 seed, on its house flooring.
Miami will play Louisiana State on Sunday.
Friday evening’s video games, all occasions Jap.
Ladies’s Event
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No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 6 Colorado, in progress, ESPN
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No. 5 Louisville vs. No. 8 Mississippi, 10 p.m., ESPN
males’s Event
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No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 5 San Diego State, in progress, TBS
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No. 1 Houston vs. No. 5 Miami, in progress, CBS
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No. 6 Creighton vs. No. 15 Princeton, 9 p.m., TBS
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No. 2 Texas vs. No. 3 Xavier, 9:45 p.m., CBS
Supply: NY Times
