In a typical season, Villanova moves five of its biggest home games from its campus arena to the Wachovia Center. But knowing that the NCAA will not place a tournament team on a court where it has played more than three home games, and knowing that the NCAA prefers keeping top teams close to home in early rounds, Villanova played only three regular-season games at the Wachovia Center, preserving its chances to return for the tournament.
On Saturday, Arizona coach Lute Olson called it a "neutral court," curling his fingers into air quotes.
On Sunday, top-seeded Villanova needed every advantage to slip past Arizona, 82-78.
PHOTO: AP
"I feel a little guilty," coach Jay Wright said. "That was a home court tonight."
A few minutes later, Olson paused when asked about the advantage, mindful that any response might be construed as sour grapes.
"I think this is a great tournament, and I think that's something the tournament committee needs to look at," Olson said, suggesting that the boundaries not be something that can be manipulated -- such as number of home games -- but, perhaps, by miles from campus.
He is not sure what the answer is. But he asked reporters not to bend his remarks into controversy. "In no way was that the reason," Olson said of the loss. "Villanova was the better team."
Not by much. While Villanova never trailed, it also rarely led by double figures, the lead shrinking and growing in small bursts, the tension in the building rising and falling with it.
Allan Ray, the second-best free-throw shooter in the Big East Conference, made four free throws in the final 15 seconds for the final margin.
"I just stepped up to the line real confident," Ray said. "Coach puts the ball in my hands at the end of the game for a reason."
Despite its Big East regular-season championship, Villanova arrived amid questions about whether a team that starts four guards and a not-so-big big man could win a national championship.
Villanova's starting lineup averages just 6 feet 3 inches. Its lone forward -- 6-foot-8 Will Sheridan -- gave up inches to two Arizona starters. Arizona had a height advantage at every position.
But Villanova's guards sliced Arizona's defense by driving inside. They shot over the defense from outside. And even the unsung Sheridan finished with 16 points -- six more than Arizona's two 6-foot-10 starters, Ivan Radenovic and Kirk Walters, combined.
Villanova, however, remains a team built inside out. Its heart and strength, like its tournament chances, rest with two premier senior guards, Ray and Randy Foye. During the regular season, they combined to average 39 points a game, more than half the team's average.
They did more than that against Arizona. Ray, from the Bronx in New York, led Villanova with 25 points, 20 in the second half. Foye, from Newark, New Jersey, had 24 points, 20 in the first half.
Arizona had no answer for them. It had scouted Villanova, learning that the guards like to drive toward the key about 85 percent of the time, Olson said. But Arizona could not prevent the speedy point guard Kyle Lowry from driving past the first line of defense, then passing either to an open man closer to the basket or to the outside for someone to take a 3-pointer. Ray and Foye combined to make 8 of 17 from beyond the 3-point arc.
"I didn't think we made a whole lot of mistakes on defense," Olson said.
His team kept the game close mostly with the play of its own showcase guards, Hassan Adams and Mustafa Shakur. Shakur grew up in Philadelphia and honed his skills at Cherashore playground at 10th and Olney, north of downtown.
Shakur had 21 points. Adams had 20. They could not keep pace with Villanova's guards.
Villanova advanced to the Round of 16 and will next face former league-rival Boston College, which moved to the Atlantic Coast Conference before the season. The game will be in Minneapolis -- nearly 1,600km from home.
When the clock expired Sunday, fans around the former Villanova coach Rollie Massimino, who led the team to a national title in 1985 and watched this game from about eight rows behind the bench, gave him high-fives and back slaps.
Wright spun to give a thumb's up to all corners of the arena. And the Villanova band, dressed in its referee-style shirts, played as the Wachovia Center crowd bid a loud farewell to its favorite team -- a final push to help carry Villanova on its way.
George Mason 65, UNC 60
Forwards Will Thomas and Jai Lewis dominated up front, and the 11th-seeded George Mason University Patriots dug out of an early 16-2 hole to upset North Carolina 65-60.
George Mason (25-7) became the first Colonial Athletic Association team to reach the round of 16 since 1988, when Richmond went. The Patriots will play Wichita State on Friday in the Washington Regional semifinals.
Lamar Butler led George Mason with 18 points and hit two free throws that put the Patriots ahead to stay 56-54 with 2:52 to go.
Bradley 72, Pittsburgh 66
In Auburn Hills, Michigan, Patrick O'Bryant scored 28 points and seven rebounds to lead 13th-seeded Bradley into the third round for the first time in 51 years. Marcellus Sommerville added 18 points and six rebounds for the Braves (22-10).
Memphis 72, Bucknell 56
In Dallas, top-seeded Memphis capitalized on the absence of Charles Lee, outscoring the Bison 15-2 for a cushion they rode to victory.
Antonio Anderson scored 13 points and Joey Dorsey added 12, helping Memphis (32-3) win for the 21st time in 22 games.
Connecticut 87, Kentucky 83
In Philadelphia, Connecticut took control early, then survived a strong comeback bid by the Wildcats. Marcus Williams scored 20 points, including four clutch free throws in the final 30 seconds, and Rudy Gay had 19 for Connecticut (29-3), which next faces the University of Washington.
West Virginia 67,
Northwestern St. 54
In Auburn Hills, Michigan, Kevin Pittsnogle scored 14 points to lead the sixth-seeded Mountaineers. The Mountaineers (22-10) led by as many as 25 in the second half, but had to hold off a late rally as the Demons pulled to 57-49 with four-plus minutes left. They next play Texas on Thursday.
Texas 75, NC State 54
In Dallas, A.J. Abrams scored 16 points after the starting backcourt of Daniel Gibson and Kenton Paulino got the Longhorns off to a fast start.
Texas (29-6) advanced to the NCAA round of 16 for the fourth time in five seasons, after their first-round exit a year ago. The second-seeded Longhorns play West Virginia on Thursday.
Georgetown 70, Ohio St. 52
In Dayton, Ohio, Roy Hibbert scored 20 points, Jeff Green 19, Ashanti Cook 17 and Darrel Owens 14 to beat second-seeded Ohio State.
Hibbert also had 14 rebounds and three blocked shots for coach John Thompson III, son of former Hoyas coach John Thompson. After the final seconds ticked away, the happy Hoyas (23-9) pointed to the eldest Thompson at courtside, who stood, raised a fist and flashed a smile.
Richard Jefferson scored 28 points, and the New Jersey Nets beat Dallas 100-89 Sunday for their first victory over the Mavericks in six years.
Vince Carter added 23 points for the Nets, who have won five in a row overall and 18 of 21 at home. Jason Kidd rebounded from a pair of quiet scoring games to add 15 points, including a pair of jumpers to halt Dallas' momentum after the Mavs twice got within 11 early in the fourth quarter.
New Jersey had lost 11 straight meetings since its last victory over Dallas on March 2, 2000. With the win, the Nets knocked the Mavs out of a share of the top spot in the Western Conference.
Nenad Krstic had 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Nets, and Kidd had nine assists. Dirk Nowitzki tied his season high with 37 points for Dallas.
Cavaliers 96, Lakers 95
In Cleveland, Flip Murray hit a free throw with 3.4 seconds left and scored 14 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Cavaliers.
The Lakers had one last chance to win, but Kobe Bryant's 3-pointer clanked off the back of the rim as time expired. Bryant finished with 38 points.
LeBron James led Cleveland with 29 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 25 points and seven rebounds.
Wizards 113, Bulls 104
In Washington, Gilbert Arenas had 29 points and seven assists, and Antonio Daniels scored a season-high 21 on his 31st birthday for the Wizards.
Caron Butler scored 25 points, and Antawn Jamison had 23, giving the Wizards four 20-point scorers in a game for the first time since Nov. 25 at Detroit.
Ben Gordon led Chicago with 20 points.
Timberwolves 95, Kings 89
In Minneapolis, Kevin Garnett scored a season-high 37 points to help Minnesota snap a seven-game losing streak.
Trenton Hassell had 12 points to go with tight defense for Minnesota, which nearly let Sacramento steal a victory in the closing seconds but got the last eight points from Garnett -- six of them on free throws.
Mike Bibby led Sacramento with 35 points.
Warriors 98, 76ers 89
In Oakland, Mike Dunleavy scored a season-high 28 points and Golden State sent Philadelphia to its fourth straight loss without Allen Iverson.
Jason Richardson added 23 points, and Troy Murphy had 12 points and 16 rebounds for the Warriors, who won their second straight after returning from a 1-4 trip.
Chris Webber had 21 points and nine rebounds for the 76ers.
Celtics 103, Pacers 88
In Indianapolis, Paul Pierce scored 22 points and Boston overcame a 14-point, first-quarter deficit to sweep the three-game season series.
Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West added 16 points each for Boston. Peja Stojakovic led Indiana with 16 points, and rookie Danny Granger had 14.
Grizzlies 90, Jazz 84
In Memphis, Pau Gasol had 15 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists to just miss a triple-double, and Chucky Atkins scored 20 points for the Grizzlies.
Memphis won its third straight despite shooting 39 percent, while Utah lost for the fourth time in its last five games.
Hawks 108, Magic 107, OT
In Atlanta, Zaza Pachulia scored on a tip-in with 2.4 seconds left in overtime to help the Hawks snap a four-game losing streak.
Pachulia, who had 13 points and 18 rebounds, scored after Joe Johnson missed a layup. Johnson had 40 points and 11 assists for Atlanta, his third game with 40 or more points this season. Jameer Nelson led Orlando with 18 points.
Heat 111, Knicks 100
In New York, Dwyane Wade had 30 points, nine assists and five rebounds to help Miami win its fifth straight to improve to 15-1 in its last 16 games.
Jason Williams added 21 points, nine assists and six rebounds, and Shaquille O'Neal scored 18 points. Eddy Curry had 18 points for the Knicks.
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