Villanova took survive and advance to an extreme today. They were stuck in a defensive struggle that was the classic first team to 50. They almost didn’t get there. They hit 50 when Collin Gillepsie hit 2 free throws with 25 seconds left.

Villanova as a team shot 15 of 52 (28.8%) from the field. Villanova also managed to hit a perfect 15 of 15 from the free throw line. I don’t know how a team who is actually so good at shooting that they can be perfect from the free throw line only hit 15 of 52 of their shots from the field – no wait, I do. That happens when the referees disappear and everyone just fouls the shooter on almost every shot.

As Houston’s coach mentioned after the Arizona win, he said “Victories don’t come with asterisks. This is not a beauty contest.”

Well, this was certainly not a beauty contest. I was at my daughter’s rugby game this afternoon, and after watching the end of the first Elite 8 game, I feel like I was treated to a rugby double-header.

There was one point late in the game with about 1 minute left where Jermaine Samuels drove to the basket, gets hit by the Houston defender and somehow still lays it in as he falls to the ground to give the Wildcats a 48-42 lead. I kept waiting for the official to blow a whistle because Samuels threw the ball forward at the basket instead of placing it down for a ruck. Then, maybe they could have let Gillepsie start the scrum. Only way I could be brought back to that it was basketball was that each team only had 5 players instead of 15.

But the perfect example of this physical insanity was at the end with about 12 seconds left. Villanova had just gotten the ball out of bounds after Houston missed two three pointers. The pass came to Villanova’s Caleb Daniels, and a Houston defender sprinted right through Daniels, hit the ball out of his hands, and the referee said it was Houston’s ball since it went off Daniel’s leg.

Last time I checked the rules, if a defensive player comes over the offensive player’s shoulder, and reaches in and hits the players arm, it is a foul. Then to add insult to the rules, they then went and reviewed it – and you hear the announcers say, “Yes – that ball definitely goes off Daniel’s leg.” No one mentioned the fact that he was almost tackled before the ball went out – a foul isn’t something that can be reviewed.

Fortunately, the college basketball gods intervened, let Houston throw up two wild three pointers before the ball went into Villanova’s Gillepsie’s hands and he dribbled out the clock to mercifully end the game.

It wasn’t pretty, but there are no asterisks. Villanova wasn’t innocent either – they understood the referees weren’t calling anything and somehow beat Houston at their game. But it doesn’t matter if the score is 50-44 or 76-70, it still is a 6 point victory for the Wildcats – one that will send them to New Orleans and the Final Four.

There was a little sad news for the Wildcats (and didn’t happen because of a foul). Justin Moore slipped driving to the basket late in the game and injured his leg in a scary fall. For a team that only plays 6 players, losing a starter might be rough. But they still survived – and this late in March, it simply matters that you are still playing.

Congratulations to the Villanova Wildcats.