While yesterday’s Elite 8 matchups were much less predictable, today’s have a chalkier feel. Texas Tech was the de facto 2-seed once Purdue lost Isaac Haas, and proved it in their dismantling of the Boilermakers in the Sweet 16 on Friday. Villanova, meanwhile, is one of two 1-seeds remaining.
And throughout the game, Villanova made that seed gap look very relevant, as the Wildcats opened up a 36-23 halftime lead over the Red Raiders. Things tightened up slightly in the second half; Texas Tech closed the gap to 52-47 with six minutes remaining, and were within five with as little as 4:13 left in the contest. But it would never get closer than that, and Nova finished off the win with a comfortable 71-59 margin.
Villanova will take on the winner of Kansas and Duke in one of the Final Four matchups, guaranteeing a 1 vs 1 or 2 on the opposite side of the 3-11 Michigan-Loyola matchup. It also guarantees a couple of really fun games, no offense to Texas Tech.
