100 Seasons 100 Moments

Moment

Mar. 25, 1983
Villanova 55 Iowa 54

In a Midwest Regional semifinal, the Wildcats edged the Hawkeyes. John Pinone scored 18 points and Stewart Granger added 11 points and four assists to help lift VU into the NCAA Elite Eight in Kansas City, Mo.

Moment

Mar. 27, 2001

Former Wildcats assistant coach (1987-92) Jay Wright is introduced as the new head coach at a Pavilion press conference. The Bucks County native spent seven seasons building Hofstra into an America East champion before returning to his roots after the departure of Steve Lappas to UMass.

Moment

Mar. 23, 2018
Villanova 90 West Virginia 78

Staring at a six-point deficit midway through the second half, the No. 1 seed Wildcats reeled off a 36-18 spurt over the final 11 minutes to down No. 5 seed West Virginia 90-78 in an NCAA Tournament East Regional Semifinal at TD Garden. Said Head Coach Jay Wright: “To win this kind of game against this kind of opponent takes toughness.”

Moment

Mar. 26, 2016
Villanova 64 Kansas 59

Outstanding defensive work in the game’s final minute by redshirt freshman Mikal Bridges helped Villanova outlast the No. 1 seeded Jayhawks at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville. Kris Jenkins and Jalen Brunson both drained vital free throws in the final 20 seconds to secure the win. “Every guy on this team is willing to do whatever it takes to win,” said Jenkins.

Moment

Mar. 28, 2009
Villanova 78 Pittsburgh 76

The NCAA East Regional Final was decided in the game’s final seconds. After firing an errant inbounds pass that led to a game-tying Panther basket, Reggie Redding was back on the baseline looking for an open Wildcat. He found Dante Cunningham near midcourt. Cunnigham handed off to Scottie Reynolds who drove into the lane and sank a short jumper with just over one second left. The 78-76 win sent the Wildcats to their first Final Four in 24 years.

Moment

Mar. 21, 2008
Villanova 75 Clemson 69

On a day of first round NCAA Tournament upsets in Tampa, the Wildcats joined the fun. Villanova rallied from an 18-point first half deficit behind 21 points from Scottie Reynolds and 17 points from Corey Fisher to upend No. 5 seed Clemson. Two days later, Villanova eliminated Siena to advance to the NCAA Sweet 16 as a 12 seed.

Moment

Mar. 24, 2006
Villanova 60 Boston College 59 (Overtime)

In a fierce NCAA Sweet 16 battle staged less than one year after Boston College’s exit from the BIG EAST, the Eagles and the Cats played into overtime. With the Wildcats down 59-58, Kyle Lowry found an open Will Sheridan near the basket. Sheridan’s attempt was blocked but ruled to be goaltending. The two points lifted the ‘Cats into the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time in 28 years.

Moment

Mar. 25, 1985
Villanova 56 North Carolina 44

After being stymied on the door step of the NCAA Final Four in 1978, 1982, and ’83 Coach Rollie Massimino’s squad broke through in Birmingham, Ala., against the Tar Heels.

Moment

Mar. 20, 1988
Villanova 66 Illinois 63

The Wildcats upended the Fighting Illini in an NCAA Round of 32 matchup at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Coliseum. Tom Greis and Mark Plansky each scored 16 points in the win but the biggest basket may have come from walk-on Pat Enright, who played six critical minutes as Nova advanced to the second weekend.

Moment

Mar. 20, 2016
Villanova 87 Iowa 68

If there was a sense of anxiety among the Nova Nation faithful at Barclays Center after NCAA Tournament Second Round knockouts in 2014 and ‘15, it never filtered down to the Wildcats. No. 2 seed Villanova jumped on Iowa to build a 25-point halftime on the way to the Sweet 16. Stated Jay Wright: “"I just thought the first half was the key to the game. Great leadership by Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Ochefu.”

Moment

Mar. 21, 2009
Villanova 89 UCLA 69

In an NCAA Tournament Round of 32 matchup played at the Center in Philadelphia, the Wildcats used an early 19-2 run to gain control. The win lifted Villanova to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the fourth time in five seasons. Noted guard Corey Fisher: “We always say it's about 40 minutes of basketball. We didn't want to let up when we got a lead. I don't think we did.”

Moment

Mar. 15, 1985
Villanova 51 Dayton 49

As the No. 8 seed in the Midwest Regional, the Wildcats opened NCAA Tournament play against the No. 9 seed Dayton – on the Flyers’ home court. A tight Round of 64 was decided when Harold Jensen sank the game-winner to set up a Round of 32 date with No. 1 seed Michigan.

Moment

Mar. 8, 2018
Villanova 94 Marquette 70

The Wildcats rolled to a victory in a BIG EAST Tournament quarterfinal. The victory was Jay Wright’s 414th as head coach, moving him past Al Severance as the program’s all-time wins leader. The Wildcats converted 15-of-29 from beyond the 3-point arc (.517).

Moment

Mar. 12, 1995
Villanova 94 Connecticut 78

In what coach Steve Lappas called his team’s “best performance of the year” the Wildcats connected on .567 of their field goal attempts and committed just six turnovers to earn the program’s first BIG EAST Tournament championship at Madison Square Garden. A 19-3 burst to open the second half broke open a one-point game at halftime.

Moment

Mar. 2, 1970
Villanova 126 Seton Hall 96

Howard Porter notched a career high 40 as the ‘Cats downed Seton Hall in the regular season finale at the Field House. The 126 points remain a single game high for the Wildcats.

Moment

Dec. 30, 1971
Villanova 77 South Carolina 76

Junior guard Tom Ingelsby sank a pair of clutch free throws in the final six seconds to help Villanova upend No. 3 ranked South Carolina in the final of the Quaker City Classic at the Palestra. The tourney win would lift VU into the Associated Press Top 20 the following week at No. 14.

Moment

Mar. 27, 1971
UCLA 68 Villanova 62

Before the largest crowd to witness an NCAA Tournament game to that point (31,765), the Wildcats nearly knocked off mighty UCLA at the Astrodome. After a 15-foot jumper by Final Four MVP Howard Porter in the final minutes, the ‘Cats were within 63-60. The Wildcats, though, could get no closer as the Bruins won their fifth straight NCAA title.

Moment

Mar. 8, 1955
Villanova 74 Duke 73

In its opening NCAA Tournament game at Madison Square Garden the Wildcats edge the Blue Devils. The on-floor leaders were Bob Schafer – the program’s first 2,000-point scorer – and Jack Devine, who’s 1,181 rebounds still rank third all-time at VU.

Moment

Mar. 7, 1981
Syracuse 83 Villanova 80 (3 OT)

The Wildcats first season in the BIG EAST culminated with a legendary battle with Syracuse on its home floor at the Carrier Dome. The forward tandem of Alex Bradley and John Pinone combined for 40 points in a contest that gave America a taste of what this second-year basketball conference was all about.

Moment

Feb. 13, 2006
Villanova 69 Connecticut 64

Before a sold-out Wells Fargo Center crowd, the Wildcats outlasted the No. 1 ranked Huskies in South Philadelphia. Allan Ray dropped in 25 points while forward Will Sheridan added a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Stated Ray: “Both teams battled. Just to come away with the victory was awesome.”

Moment

Mar. 8, 1950
Villanova 68 Duquesne 51

A 17-point win caps a 25-4 season that was dominated by 6-4 senior forward Paul Arizin, who became the first Wildcat to score 1,000 or more points in his career (1,648). Arizin was named by the Sporting News as its National Player of the Year after leading the country in scoring (735 points).

Moment

Dec. 30, 1963
Villanova 77 Minnesota 73

Villanova earns the prestigious ECAC Holiday Festival title at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Junior forward Jim Washington contributed 17 points and 21 rebounds to the victory.

Moment

Apr. 7, 1961

Jack Kraft, who coached for 14 seasons at Bishop Neumann H.S. and Malvern Prep, is named to succeed Al Severance as the Wildcats’ head coach. Kraft had earned high marks for his skill as a “sound fundamentalist and defensive specialist”. He would lead Villanova to 215 victories in 12 seasons from 1961-73.

Moment

Dec. 11, 1954
Villanova 76 St. Francis (Pa.) 71

After trailing by as many as 17 points, Villanova stormed back to grab the win as scoring sensation Bob Schafer tossed in 37 points.

Moment

Feb. 14, 1953
Villanova 105 Boston College 73

Just three short years after Arizin’s graduation, the next great Wildcats scorer began attracting a national following. A mere 10 days after setting a new Palestra scoring record with 44 points, Larry Hennessy scored 45 points to help key this victory over the Eagles.

Moment

Jan. 9, 1943
Villanova 54 Princeton 46

At the height of World War II, Villanova coach Al Severance wasn’t quite sure what kind of season 1942-43 would be. The specter of a recall to active duty service loomed for the student-athletes and travel restrictions eliminated long distance trips. The ‘Cats nonetheless posted a 19-2 mark highlighted by this win over the highly ranked Tigers. William Wood and Robert Kelty combined for 37 points before a standing room only crowd at the Field House.

Moment

Mar. 16, 1962
Villanova 79 NYU 76

In an NCAA Tournament East Regional semifinal, the Wildcats edged NYU at Maryland’s Cole Field House. The victory was Nova’s 21st in the first season of head coach Jack Kraft. Senior Wali Jones was selected to the All-Eastern Regional team. Noted Kraft: “No coach could ever hope to have a more complete or unselfish player than Wali Jones.”

Moment

Mar. 20, 1971
Villanova 90 Penn 47

In a rematch of a January game won by the Quakers at the Palestra, Villanova dominated from the opening tip of this NCAA Elite Eight matchup in Raleigh, N.C. Howard Porter was named East Region Most Outstanding Player after scoring 35 points vs. the Quakers.

Moment

Jan. 29, 1925
Villanova 32 St. Joseph's 24

This matchup featured a pair of brothers from across the river in Camden, N.J. Older brother Joey Sheehan starred for the ‘Cats while younger brother Bart played for the Hawks. This verdict went to Villanova as part of an impressive 10-1 campaign for the Wildcats of Head Coach Mike Saxe. Joey Sheehan, 5-9, would go on to play professional basketball in both the ABL and Eastern League.

Moment

Mar. 14, 1982
Villanova 76 Northeastern 72 (3 OT)

In the midst of a 24-win season, the Wildcats were pushed to the limits in a triple overtime battle against the Huskies – coached by Jim Calhoun – at New York’s Nassau Coliseum. The win helped pave the way for an appearance in the NCAA Elite Eight the following weekend.

Moment

Nov. 29, 2017
Villanova 90 Penn 53

With its Pavilion home undergoing a renovation, the Wildcats hosted their first game in Jake Nevin Field House since 1986. With a heavily student populated crowd of 2,200 in the cozy confines, the Wildcats followed the lead of Junior Jalen Brunson, who scored 17 points and freshman Omari Spellman, who scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds. “It was a wild atmosphere in there,” stated Villanova head coach Jay Wright. “I just can’t imagine what that place used to be like when they had more seats in there.”

Moment

Jan. 20, 2007
Villanova 76 Texas 69

Facing the nation’s top freshman – Kevin Durant –the Wildcats relied on rugged defense and clutch scoring from their own freshman, Scottie Reynolds (26 points) to outlast No. 21 Texas at the Center. Said Durant: “Villanova played great team defense. It was a whole team effort.” Sophomores Shane Clark and Dante Cunningham were part of a forward group that helped keep Durant in check.

Moment

Jan. 28, 2009
Villanova 67 Pittsburgh 57

In its final appearance at the soon to be imploded Spectrum, the No. 21 Wildcats knocked off the No. 3 Panthers. Philadelphia native Reggie Redding led the way with 18 points while Dante Cunningham added 15 points. Said Redding: “Everyone loves the Spectrum, respects it. It's just great to finish it off like that.”

Moment

Jan. 29, 2017
Villanova 61 Virginia 59

Staring at a 13-point deficit with 13:46 remaining to play to one of the nation’s most accomplished defensive units, the Wildcats somehow battled back before 20,907 at Wells Fargo Center. In a tied game, Villanova gave the ball to its All-American Josh Hart, whose shot caromed off. But teammate Donte DiVincenzo rose up to tip-home the winner just before the horn sounded.

Moment

Mar. 25, 1971
Villanova 92 Western Kentucky 89 (2 OT)

The Wildcats rallied to a victory in this double overtime thriller in Houston’s Astrodome to reach the program’s first NCAA Final. Hank Siemiontkwoski scored 31 points for the Wildcats, who limited the Hilltoppers to .371 shooting in the contest.

Moment

Jan. 22, 2005
Villanova 83 Kansas 62

Three days after watching a 66-60 lead evaporate in the final two minutes of a loss at Boston College, the Wildcats came up with a statement victory over the No. 2 team in the land. While a blizzard began outside, the Wildcats unleashed a flurry of 3-pointers as Allan Ray finished with 27 points and Curtis Sumpter contributed 25 points to knock the Jayhawks from the ranks of the unbeaten.

Moment

Feb. 9, 2002
Villanova 58 UCLA 57

With many of the men who led Villanova against UCLA in the 1971 NCAA Final looking on at the Pavilion, the Wildcats upended the Bruins at the Pavilion. Villanova trailed 57-56 before senior captain Brooks Sales drained two key free throws on the ‘Cats final offensive possession. A defensive stop gave the ‘Cats the win, setting off a court storm.

Moment

Mar. 17, 1978
Villanova 61 Indiana 60

In an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game in Providence, guard Rory Sparrow hit a turnaround jump shot with time winding down to push the Wildcats past the Hoosiers, just two seasons removed from an undefeated NCAA championship season.

Moment

Mar. 19, 1966
Villanova 76 Army 65

The Wildcats claimed third place in the NIT after advancing to the Finals a year earlier. Senior guard Bill Melchionni is named the Most Valuable Player of the NIT. The product of Bishop Eustace H.S. averaged 27.6 points per game as a senior and would go on to play 10 seasons of pro basketball, earning an NBA title in 1967-68 with the Philadelphia 76ers and a pair of ABA crowns with the New York Nets. The Nets retired his No. 25 jersey.

Moment

Mar. 30, 1994
Villanova 80 Vanderbilt 73

The Wildcats rode a late season surge into a stirring run through the National Invitation Tournament. Villanova erased a 41-26 deficit to the Commodores in the title game to earn the program’s only NIT title at Madison Square Garden led by first team All-BIG EAST selection Kerry Kittles. Jonathan Haynes scored 19 points for the victors.

Moment

Dec. 6, 1980
Villanova 68 Providence 49

A new chapter in program history began on this night at the fabled Palestra. Senior guard Tom Sienkiewicz contributed 14 points as the Wildcats downed the Friars in their first regular season game in the BIG EAST Conference, which was formed one season earlier to include some of the most prominent programs in the northeast corridor.

Moment

Jan. 4, 1961
Villanova 81 Detroit 69

Philadelphia native Hubie White offered Palestra fans a glimpse of where the sport was headed. After pulling down a defensive rebound, the VU junior dribbled up-court, used a behind the back and through the legs dribble to elude two Titans defenders, and then finished with a dunk at the rim. The Palestra crowd roared its approval.

Moment

Feb. 16, 1927
Villanova 41 Seton Hall 23

The term “Midnight Madness” wouldn’t surface until decades later but it would have applied on this occasion. Under its first-year coach John “Rube” Cashman, the Wildcats were to face Seton Hall at the Newark Armory. From the 1927 Belle Aire Yearbook: “The game was started at a weird hour, with the first whistle not blowing until around midnight. The AAU held a track meet in the Armory and the fracas could not begin until the field events were over. However, the Wildcats seemed to stand the strain better than their opponents.”

Moment

Feb. 12, 1949
Villanova 117 Naval Air Material Center 25

Paul Arizin’s rise to national prominence took another step forward on this night at the Field House. The forward connected on 35-of-56 field goal attempts and 15-of-22 free throws for a then NCAA record 85 points. According to the Belle Aire Yearbook: “After four days of hot dispute, Arizin’s record was officially accepted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.”

Moment 2

March 17, 1939
Villanova 43 Brown 30

The Wildcats grabbed a 17-7 lead over the Bears at halftime and never looked back on their way to advancing to the first NCAA Final Four at the Palestra. Sophomore guard Paul Nugent was one of the Villanova’s standouts in the event as was senior captain Jim Montgomery. Ohio State eliminated the Wildcats 53-36 in the national semifinal.

Dec. 21, 1920
Villanova 43 Catholic University 40

Though the Wildcats had participated in local matchups as early as 1898, more than two decades passed before Villanova competed as an official college basketball entry. John Ryan scored 15 points while Charles Laughlin added a dozen to help Nova rally from a 21-20 halftime deficit to earn the win in its opener at Alumni Hall. Mike Saxe, a former standout at Penn, guided the squad to the win as the program's first head coach.

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