Villanova advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2009 with a dominant, 92-69 victory over Miami. The Wildcats 13th visit to the Elite Eight ties for eight among all programs and marks the 3rd Regional Final game of the Jay Wright era.

The Wildcats never trailed in the game. A hot shooting performance right out of the chute allowed the Cats to build a 15 point lead early - only to see the 'Canes respond with a 12 point run and eventually cut the lead to one. The Cats offense responded and stretched the lead back to six by the half.

In the second half, Villanova again set the tone early ... but this time they denied the Hurricanes any response. The hyper-efficient 'Nova offense posted 92 points with four players scoring 14 or more points while shooting a torrid 62.7% from the floor and 66.7% from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the defense showed a variety of man-to-man and zone looks to confuse Miami into a dozen turnovers.

Goods:

- Off the charts offensive efficiency (1.56)

- Shared the ball beautifully with four players scoring 14+ points

- All eight players had ORtgs of 127 or more

- 18-19 (.947) from the free-throw line

- Won the rebounding battle

Others:

- Early foul trouble for Hart

Player by Player:

Ryan Arcidiacono: Arcidiacono scored 13 points in the first eight minutes and never looked back. He was strong with the ball, shot it well, and grabbed three steals while playing aggressive defense. He really set the tone for the Cats early - in particular with his two mid-range buckets while closely guarded and a pair of wing three-balls. ORtg of 176. Now has 1560 career points - tying Lance Miller while passing all-timers, Dwayne McClain and Larry Herron.

Daniel Ochefu: Oddly, "The Chef" had only two rebounds and had only 1 assist against 2 turnovers. However, he did finish well over defender in the paint to drop in 17 points on 7-11 shooting from the floor. He tweaked his right ankle and went to the sideline but returned and played effectively. Hopefully his ankle feels good in the morning and he can continue to March on with his mates.

Josh Hart: When Hart picked up two quick fouls it was somewhat reminiscent of the way he was taken out of flow early in the NC State game last season and never regained his effectiveness. Luckily, he bounced back - not only was he able to play a key role in the second half but Hart also returned for a quick stint in the first half in which he scored some important points and helped 'Nova go to the locker room with the lead.

Kris Jenkins: Jenkins was again the MVP for 'Nova with an impressive offensive performance. He posted a 178 ORtg powered by a 5-6 shooting performance from beyond the three-point line. He hit some absolute daggers from looonnng range to go with eight rebounds and four assists. He continues to bring a high level of energy, passion, and efficiency to the table!

Jalen Brunson: More poise and more great decision-making from the Frosh. 22 minutes of play with a 122 ORtg, 5 points ( a trey and two from the FT stripe on a one-and-one opportunity). He also dished out two assists with only one turnover. Continues to contribute at a high level and play very much within himself.

Phil Booth: The key aspect of Booth's performance in this game was his decision-making. In 14 minutes of action he was strong with the ball, played good defense and took good shots. 2 assists without a turnover.

Mikal Bridges: He continues his great stretch of play for a Freshman in high pressure games. He did a great job on the O-glass and keeping the ball alive off rebound action. 1 assist, 0 turnovers and a steal. Drained two pressure free-throws and scored an impressive transition basket where he popped the ball loose using his impressive, wing-span and then grabbed it and finished at the rim in transition. Did a fine defensive job during his important 26 minutes of action.

Darryl Reynolds: 8 points and 5 boards in only 15 minutes. Fabulous work from the Junior. Crazy good ORtg of 189 as he made 2-3 from the floor and 4-4 from the FT line. Three offensive rebounds and plenty of hustle on defense.

The Cats will play Saturday in the South Regional FInal against the winner of tonight's Kansas vs. Maryland game with a spot in the Final Four on the line.

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