NEW ORLEANS, La. – Collin Gillespie scored a team-high 17 points and Brandon Slater added 12 of his 16 points in the second half but hot starts by Kansas (33-6) in both halves were ultimately too much for Villanova (30-8) to overcome in an 81-65 defeat in the first national semifinal game at Caesars Superdome on Saturday evening. The game marked the Wildcats seventh Final Four appearance and third in the last six NCAA Tournaments.
 
Gillespie scored his 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field, including 5-of-8 from three-point range. Slater had 16 points and seven rebounds and local fan favorite Caleb Daniels chipped in 13 points. Daniels, a New Orleans native who began his collegiate career at Tulane, was one of the stars of the Final Four even before the games began.
 
Kansas converted its first three field goal attempts while holding the Wildcats without a point to grab a 7-0 lead after just 2:29 of action in the first half. An Ochai Agbaji 3-pointer made it 10-0 before Brandon Slater scored on a putback for Nova's first points of the evening.
 
The Jayhawks defense confounded Villanova over the opening six minutes, forcing five turnovers and holding VU to 2-of-9 shooting from the field. When Agbaji sank his third 3-pointer in the first six minutes, Kansas held a 16-5 lead.
 
The Wildcats got 3-pointers from Caleb Daniels and Jermaine Samuels less than a minute apart, but Kansas' offense shifted into a higher gear. It picked up another triple from Agbaji and interior scoring from David McCormack to craft a 26-11 lead midway through the first half.
 
The blistering offensive pace continued as the half rolled on. Indeed KU converted 13-of-19 field goals over the first 13:58, including 7-of-10 from long range, to extend its advantage to 36-18.
 
However, a 10-0 burst by the 'Cats, which was capped by a 3-pointer from Gillespie off an assist from Slater, shaved the gap to 38-29 with 1:23 to play before halftime. Gillespie scored eight points during the run. Kansas got the final basket of the period and took a 40-29 edge into the locker room at halftime.
 
McCormack (13 points) and Agbaji (12 points) combined for 25 of Kansas' 40 points in the half. Gillespie's 11 points paced the Wildcats over the first 20 minutes.
 
A Gillespie 3-pointer in the first minute of the second half helped close the margin to 42-32 but Agbaji answered with his fifth triple and McCormack added another near the basket to push the advantage to 47-32 less than three minutes into the second half.
 
But the 'Cats kept coming and after 3-pointers from Slater and Daniels, Villanova was back to within eight points for the first time since midway through the first period. The score was 50-42 with 14:07 on the second half clock.
 
Another 3-pointer from Slater reduced the deficit to 52-45 but Kansas came right back with its 1-2 offensive punch, getting another triple from Agbaji and a two point goal from McCormack on its way to pushing the lead to 62-50 with 10:25 left. This time, one more 3-ball from Slater and a pair of Eric Dixon free throws closed the margin to 62-55.
 
The chipping away continued Villanova, which got the deficit to six (64-58) after a traditional 3-point play by Jermaine Samuels. McCormack answered with another jump hook, though, and the Jayhawks were up 66-58 as the contest approached the five-minute mark of the second half. A short jumper by Christian Braun made it 68-58.
 
When Braun tossed a 3-pointer from beyond 28 feet with the shot clock winding down, Kansas held a 71-59 lead over the Wildcats with 3:31 to play.  
 
Jermaine Samuels totaled nine points and seven rebounds for Villanova and Eric Dixon added seven points and seven boards on the night. The Wildcats wound up making 13-of-31 from long distance, the seventh time this year that the team has hit 13 or more triples and the 17^th time making 10+ three-pointers in a game.
 
Villanova finishes a thrilling 2021-22 campaign with a 30-8 record. It is the sixth 30-win season in program history, with all six coming since 2009. Along the way the Wildcats peaked at the right time and reached the Final Four on the strength of a 9-0 record during the month of March.