NCAA Tournament: Villanova to take on upset-minded Miami with an Elite Eight berth on the line

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Just over an hour after No. 4 seed Villanova punched its ticket to the Sweet 16 with a win over No. 12 Florida Gulf Coast on Monday, No. 9 Miami upset No. 1 Indiana, 70-68, on the Hoosiers’ home court.

Now, Villanova will face Miami on Friday (2:30 p.m., ESPN) with a trip to the Elite Eight on the line.

When the bracket was revealed on Selection Sunday, many saw Indiana as the biggest obstacle standing in Villanova’s path.

That’s not to discount the challenge Nova’s first two rounds presented. But the Hoosiers, led by Naismith Player of the Year semifinalist Mackenzie Holmes, would have been the Wildcats’ toughest opponent of the year.

When Miami beat Indiana, the path for Villanova opened. Again, no one is giving the Wildcats a win over Miami. They are only 4½-point favorites. But having to play a 13-seed, 12-seed, and nine-seed to get to the Elite Eight is a draw that most teams would happily accept.

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The “handle the pressure!” that Villanova head coach Denise Dillon yelled repeatedly at Thursday’s open practice had a double meaning for the Wildcats. Off the court, they will feel the pressure of the moment. On the court, the pressure comes from Miami’s defense.

It’s the second time Villanova has reached the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, the first coming 20 years ago, so it’s a new environment for Villanova’s entire roster.

Does that come with added pressure? Added distractions?

“It’s an exciting experience,” senior Brooke Mullin said. “But you just try to focus on your team and what you can control.”

Added fellow senior Maddy Siegrist: “I think it’s like such a balance when you get here. You want to have fun and stay focused at the same time. And I think we’ve had the mentality all year, one game at a time, and just try to keep that.”

» READ MORE: God and basketball teamed up to create Maddy Siegrist’s historic career at Villanova.

Within that one-game mentality, the Wildcats are focused on Miami and the defensive intensity on which the Hurricanes pride themselves. Miami averages 8.7 steals and forces 16.6 turnovers.

“What we know is they’re going to pressure us,” Dillon said. “Their intensity on the defensive end creates a lot of offense for them, so just being prepared for that.”

While the Miami pressure will be strong, Villanova has been successful protecting the ball all season. Led by Mullin and sophomore point guard Lucy Olsen, the Wildcats average the second-fewest turnovers with 10.2 and rank first in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.64.

It may feel like a broken record at this point, but outrebounding their opponents has been crucial for the Wildcats all year. Villanova is 18-0 in games where it wins the battle on the boards.

It was a difference-maker for the Wildcats in the first two rounds of the tournament. Villanova outrebounded Cleveland State and FGCU by 15 and 12 while limiting them to eight and nine offensive rebounds, respectively.

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The difference now? Villanova had a significant size advantage in these matchups, but Friday will be different. Miami starts 6-4 forward Lola Pendande and has three reserves who are the same height or taller and average 12-14 minutes. Siegrist and sophomore Christina Dalce are Villanova’s tallest rotation players at 6-2.

Dalce has recorded 12 double-figure rebounding games this season, and Siegrist averages 9.1 rebounds with 17 double-doubles. The duo has been successful inside, but they will have to focus on positioning and effort when it comes to grabbing rebounds on Friday.