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Villanova punches Final Four ticket after shutting down Houston in Elite 8
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Villanova is back in the Final Four, dispatching Houston with a 50-44 win after clamping down on defense in the win.
After holding Michigan to 55 points in the Sweet 16, the Wildcat defense proved clutch again with a lockdown outing against the Cougars. At the final whistle, Houston shot 29.8% from the field and a disastrous 1-for-20 from 3-point range. The Cougars also missed 5 free throws in a game they lost by 6 points.
Villanova was far from dynamic offensively in the win. The Wildcats shot 28.8% from the field and 5-for-21 from 3-point range. In the end, the big difference was at the free-throw line where Villanova went 15-for-15, including some big moments down the stretch.
Jermaine Samuels proved to be the key man offensively for the Wildcats. He finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Caleb Daniels also added 12 points off the bench.
Houston was led by Taze Moore with 15 points and 10 rebounds but he was far from efficient. Moore ended 6-for-21 from the field. Jamal Shead added 9 points but was 0-for-5 from 3-point range.
Villanova returns to the Final Four for the 3rd time since 2016. The Wildcats have 2 national titles in that span, winning it all in 2016 and 2018.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
