Villanova advances to South Region final with 92-69 win over Miami, Fla.

Villanova, which hasn’t played beyond the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2009, is one victory away from the Final Four.

The Wildcats crushed Miami 92-69 in the South Region on Thursday and will face Kansas in the region final on Saturday at 7:49 p.m. on CBS.

Second-seeded Villanova, 32-5, was upset as a No. 1 seed in the second round last year and as a second seed in both 2010 and 2014.

The Wildcats have taken out their frustrations on all three NCAA opponents this year. After bashing UNC Asheville in the first round, Villanova blew out Iowa in its second game.

The skilled play, especially on the offensive end, continued in the Sweet 16. Villanova scored the game’s first eight points and never trailed.

“It’s a mind-set,” Wildcats guard Ryan Arcidiacono said. “We wanted to be aggressive from the start.”

Sixth-ranked Villanova spent several weeks as the nation’s top-ranked team until some late losses got the Wildcats replaced at the top by Kansas.

Villanova still had a chance to earn a top seed in the NCAA Tournament, but the opportunity likely was lost when the Wildcats fell to Seton Hall in the Big East Tournament finale.

Any disappointment has been soothed by its NCAA play. Everybody has stood out for the Wildcats in the postseason, and Thursday was no different. Four players scored in double figures, led by Arcidiacono and Kris Jenkins with 21 points each, Daniel Ochefu with 17 and Josh Hart with 14.

Villanova, with former NCAA championship coach Rollie Massimino sitting two rows behind the bench, shot 62.7 percent from the floor and was 10 of 15 from behind the three-point arc. The Wildcats also had their way in the paint, especially with Miami big man Tonye Jekiri laboring in foul trouble most of the time. That opened up the middle, and Villanova took advantage.

Tenth-ranked Miami, 27-7, despite shooting 53.2 percent from the floor and making 10 of its 17 three-pointers, worked against the tide all night.

“Normally, if I look at a stat sheet and we’ve shot 53 percent from the field, 58 percent from three, I think we probably won the game,” Miami coach Jim Larranaga said. “But you look at their stats, 62 percent from the field, 66 percent from three … they’re just an incredible offensive team.”

The Hurricanes couldn’t handle Villanova’s pressure or Arcidiacono early and fell behind by 15 points. Arcidiacono scored 13 of the Wildcats’ first 22 points as Villanova opened a 29-14 advantage.

But hot shooting got the Hurricanes right back in it. In fewer than 2 minutes, Miami banged in four from behind the three-point arc — two each from Angel Rodriguez and Sheldon McClellan. The Villanova margin had melted to three. Moments later, a Rodriguez layup closed the score to 31-30.

But Villanova answered with six points, four from Hart, who picked up two early fouls.

Both teams sizzled from the floor. Miami, trailing by six at the break, made 14 of its 21 first-half shots, including seven of 11 three-pointers. Villanova was only slightly less accurate, 16 of 25 from the field and six of eight on threes.

The combined 65.2 percent was the best for a half in an NCAA Tournament game in three years. And Villanova’s 1.58 points per possession is the program’s best offensive efficiency in the last five years.

How hot were the teams? Late in the half, with the shot clock winding down, Jenkins had the ball with one foot on the midcourt logo. He let it fly.

Swish.

This story was originally published March 24, 2016 at 9:51 PM with the headline "Villanova advances to South Region final with 92-69 win over Miami, Fla.."