Jermaine Samuels had 16 points with 10 rebounds as Villanova advanced to its third NCAA Final Four in the last six NCAA Tournaments with a grind-it-out 50-44 victory over Houston in the South Region final.
Caleb Daniels added 14 points for the Wildcats , and fifth-year senior Collin Gillespie’s only made field goal was a clutch shot late.
With both teams willing to limit possessions, the first spot for this year’s Final Four in New Orleans was settled in a game that was ugly to watch with all the missed shots. Villanova shot 28.8% from the field . The Cougars were only slightly better at 29.8% , missing their last five shots and 10 of 11 overall, and they made only one of their of 20 attempted 3-pointers.
Taze Moore had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Cougars , who were denied making consecutive Final Four appearances for the first time since 1982-84 during the Phil Slama Jama era. The starting five was completely changed from last season, including Moore and two other senior newcomers.More AP coverage of March Madness: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and https://twitter.
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