NCAAB Game Preview - Villanova at Northern Iowa
Fri Nov 24, 2017 12:00 PM EST

Duke
85
Tex
78
F(OT)
Purd
89
Ariz
64
F
Oakl
59
Kansas
102
F
UConn
57
MSU
77
F
Vill
64
NrthIA
50
F
Fla
111
Gonz
105
F(2OT)
UNC
87
Ark
68
F
UMass
51
Minn
69
F
Xav
86
AzSt
102
F
Pepp
65
TAMU
81
F
StFPA
72
Lou
84
F
Vand
59
Seton
72
F
StMar
79
WaSt
84
F
UCF
45
WVU
83
F
Bama
71
BYU
59
F
Mizzu
90
StJon
82
F
ChiSt
73
Presb
75
F
TNTec
86
NebOm
85
F
ArkSt
61
SoFL
72
F
Furm
78
UNH
64
F
ECU
47
Rut
61
F
LongB
74
OrSt
69
F
NoAZ
71
UCIrv
77
F
SeLA
77
Samf
71
F
AbCh
85
Campbl
80
F(OT)
Tenn
67
NCSU
58
F
MD-ES
66
JackSt
63
F
Nich
88
UMBC
89
F
PorSt
69
Butl
71
F
SprH
67
NOrl
74
F
Bry
78
Hartfo
73
F
Seatt
84
Wash
89
F
ORU
48
PSU
86
F
TXSo
77
Clem
84
F
UtSt
71
NE
67
F
Harv
77
StJos
71
F
AlaAM
74
Niag
96
F
Toled
77
Corn
80
F
StFNY
76
Navy
85
F
N TX
49
GaTec
63
F
JU
92
Fairf
84
F
E MI
67
Ind
87
F
UNCW
78
LoyIL
102
F
CenCT
74
Clev
73
F
USC-Up
74
BGSU
83
F
Portl
71
Okla
93
F
Norf
53
RobM
75
F
USM
71
SDak
84
F
W Ky
63
SMU
61
F
UGA
68
SDSU
75
F
WCU
65
TexAr
89
F
NM
67
TCU
69
F
FlaAM
50
WIGB
57
F
GWebb
47
WriSt
67
F
Winth
85
Aub
119
F
Denv
71
FlGlf
79
F
UNCG
75
Wake
81
F
MtStM
77
Ohio
96
F
HiPt
67
UNCC
70
F
Kent
67
Valpa
77
F
UVA
70
URI
55
F
NCC
73
Ill
86
F
Nebras
84
Maris
59
F
GrgWas
59
KSU
67
F
E WA
69
Utah
85
F
TXAMC
58
UTSA
72
F
(N/A)
48
MOSt
80
F
Citad
78
FSU
113
F
(N/A)
44
E IL
96
F
SacHr
50
NW
81
F
Stan
71
OhSt
79
F
NWSt
60
ColSt
72
F
N CO
80
YSU
67
F
WIMil
49
Wisc
71
F
ArkPB
69
Pacif
78
F
CAPoly
53
CenMI
56
F
Oreg
89
DeP
79
F(OT)
Sac
63
CS-Ful
68
F
StBon
63
MD
61
F
PVAM
66
UCSB
69
F
Hamp
80
Rider
94
F
TxSt
62
Canis
68
F
Ida
62
CSBak
64
F
Nev
67
HI
54
F
Northern Iowa awaits another challenge vs. No. 5 Villanova
Thu Nov 23, 2017 8:02 PM

Northern Iowa coach Ben Jacobson will go from coaching his team to a win over North Carolina State, which beat No. 2 Arizona in the Battle 4 Atlantis, to playing what he called the very best of the field -- No. 5 Villanova -- in the championship game on Friday.

"I've seen everybody play here and they're the best," Jacobson said of Villanova after Northern Iowa defeated N.C. State 64-60 on Thursday in a semifinal game at the Imperial Ballroom Arena at Paradise Island, Bahamas.

"They look like a team that could win a national championship, the way they approach things and the way they do everything. They're making hustle plays. It's a team that's built on toughness."

Villanova (5-0) persevered in its first two games in the Battle 4 Atlantis with pivotal runs in the second half against Western Kentucky and Tennessee to pull out wins.

They trailed 44-29 with 1:39 left in the first half against the Volunteers on Thursday before taking control from the start of the second half. Coach Jay Wright's team scored the first 11 points as part of that 23-2 burst.

Villanova made its comeback in an 85-76 win over Tennessee despite having five players with at least two fouls by halftime, including starters Omari Spellman (three), Makel Bridges (two) and Jalen Brunson (two).

"I would love to tell you I came up with some great strategy," Wright said. "It was just we made it through the first half with everybody in foul trouble. ... We just said, 'All right, we've got everybody back, let's go play, let's do what we were supposed to do.'"

Villanova shot 52 percent after halftime, fueled by Tennessee's 12 second-half turnovers that helped the Wildcats score in transition. The Wildcats also had an aggressive edge that got them to the line 24 times after halftime, making 20.

"That's how we should play, and throughout the whole game," said Bridges, who had 21 points. "You just saw parts of that today, in the beginning of the first half and the beginning of the second half. We practice every day trying to play like that for 40 minutes."

Brunson scored 18 of his 25 points after halftime, finishing 8 of 16 from the field and 9 of 9 from the line to go with six assists. He topped 1,000 points in his career and stands at 1,007.

"(Teammates) give me confidence," Brunson said. "Coach gives me confidence. I put the work in, I should have confidence in myself."

Northern Iowa (5-1) had a second-half comeback of its own in its win over North Carolina State, which was coming off a 90-84 victory over Arizona on Wednesday.

The Panthers trailed by seven points midway through the second half but extended their winning streak to five games behind freshman guard Tywhon Pickford (18 points, 18 rebounds) and 6-foot-10 senior forward Bennett Koch (16 points).

Northern Iowa rode Koch down the stretch as he delivered eight straight points to help the Panthers gain separation from the Wolfpack.

The Panthers, members of the Missouri Valley Conference, have made it to the second round of the 2015 and 2016 NCAA tournaments.

"I'm looking forward to being in that game against Villanova because you want to play the best," said Jacobson, in his 12th season as Northern Iowa's coach. "It's great for the kids to be getting attention nationally with these games on national TV.

"The guys will be challenged and they're looking forward to it."

Team Record Comparison

Standings GB W-L Aw/Hm Stk L10
Villanova  
Northern Iowa  

Hot Players (Last 10 team games)

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