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Villanova vs. Cleveland State time set for Saturday’s NCAA Tournament first-round game

If the Wildcats advance, they will face the winner of Saturday's earlier game at Finneran Pavilion between No. 5 seed Washington State and No. 12 Florida Gulf Coast.

Maddy Siegrist and the Villanova women's basketball team salute the fans after the Selection Sunday show for the women's NCAA Tournament.
Maddy Siegrist and the Villanova women's basketball team salute the fans after the Selection Sunday show for the women's NCAA Tournament.Read moreCharles Fox / Staff Photographer
    by Colin Beazley
    Updated 
    Published 

Tip-off times with TV information were just released for the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, and Villanova now knows when it will be playing. The fourth-seeded Wildcats will host No. 13 Cleveland State at 5 p.m. on Saturday at Finneran Pavilion. The game will be televised on ESPNU.

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The game is the second of a doubleheader. No. 5 Washington State will play No. 12 Florida Gulf Coast at 2:30 p.m., which will also be televised on ESPNU. The winners will play each other on Monday at the Finn, with tip-off times and television info to be announced when Round of 32 matchups are set.

Villanova (28-6) is in the midst of arguably the best season in program history. The Wildcats achieved their highest AP ranking in program history, peaking at No. 10, and advanced to the Big East Tournament championship for the second consecutive year. With a win Saturday, Villanova will match its program record for wins.

Villanova’s opponent, Cleveland State, won the Horizon League with a 30-4 record. This is the Vikings’ first NCAA Tournament berth since 2010.

» READ MORE: 5 key moments that punched Villanova’s NCAA Tournament ticket

All season, the Wildcats have said it’s a team goal to improve on last year’s NCAA Tournament run. In 2022, No. 11 Villanova upset No. 6 BYU in the first round before losing to No. 3 Michigan in the second round. If the Wildcats beat Cleveland State and the Washington State/FGCU winner, they will punch their ticket to the Sweet 16 in Greenville, S.C. Indiana is the No. 1 seed.