Comeback after comeback has defined this year’s March Madness, and the Utah State Aggies added their name to that list as they rallied from a 10-point deficit in the second half against the Villanova Wildcats to pull out an 86-76 win to advance to the second round in San Diego on Friday.
MJ Collins Jr. Catches Fire to Down Villanova in Closing Minutes
While the Aggies were able to take control over the final 10 minutes of the game, it took a sensational game by senior guard MJ Collins Jr. to effectively seal the win for Utah State. Collins Jr. would score 9 points for the Aggies in the final 4 minutes to push Utah State to a double-digit lead that Villanova would be unable to rally from. Collins Jr. would finish the game with 20 points and 4 rebounds in the win.
Utah State would also prove to be too much of a physical force for the Wildcats to handle as they ate up Villanova from inside the paint, scoring 42 points from close range in the win. That elite level of physicality would also help Utah State double up Villanova from the free-throw line, where they made 28 of 37 attempts from the charity stripe. The Aggies would need every bit of those paint and free-throw points, as they only shot 13% from the three-point line in the win.
The starting five for Utah State all played a crucial role in the victory, as 4 of the 5 starters for the Aggies finished the game in double figures. While Collins Jr. would serve as the closer for Utah State, it would be his backcourt mate in Mason Falslev that would be the fulcrum of the Aggies’ offensive attack in the win. Falslev would finish with a solid stat line of 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists in a great performance.
Villanova Comes Up Short in First NCAA Tournament Appearance in 4 Years
Following the sudden retirement of Hall of Fame head coach Jay Wright after Villanova to their 6th Final Four appearance in program history, the Wildcats had not seen the NCAA tournament until this season. Much of that was due to the hiring of former Maryland head coach Kevin Willard last year, who led the Wildcats to an impressive 24-8 record in his first year. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, they’ll have to wait another year to win their first tournament game since 2022.
It was a tale of two halves for the Wildcats in their first-round loss, as their offense simply flamed out midway through the second half after staying strong for the majority of the game. While Villanova was able to double up the Aggies from beyond the arc, as they knocked down 14 threes compared to just 2 for Utah State, the offense failed to generate much from other sections of the court. Villanova would shoot just 44% from the field and 47% from three in the loss.
The Wildcats would also have to rely heavily on their starters to find any production on the offensive end of the floor. Villanova would only receive just 3 points total from their bench in the loss. The biggest factor in helping keep the Wildcats in the game until the end was the play of Bryce Lindsay, who had a magnificent outing in the loss. Lindsay would hit 6 threes to finish with a game-high 25 points in Villanova’s final game of the season.
The Juggernaut Awaits Utah State on Sunday
It almost seems unfair the hand that has been dealt to Utah State after pulling out a fantastic win against a tough Villanova team today, as they now have a date with the top-seeded Arizona Wildcats in the second round on Sunday. The Wildcats are coming off a dominating win in their first-round game against the Long Island Sharks in a 92-58 beatdown earlier today. The Aggies have a very tall task ahead of them come Sunday in San Diego.
