BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Shabazz Napier, who sat out the last 12 minutes of the first half after picking up his second foul, scored 21 of his 25 points in the second half and led No. 7 seed Connecticut to a 77-65 win over No. 2 seed Villanova in an NCAA tournament Round of 32 game at the First Niagara Center Saturday night.
UConn led by 11 with nine minutes left. The Wildcats whittled the lead down to five with a minute left, but UConn put it away at the foul line.
Connecticut reached the Round of 32 by overcoming 10-point leads against both St. Joe’s and Villanova.
Napier, the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year, shot 9 for 13 from the field. He made four of six threes after halftime.
Napier limped off the court with four minutes left after Villanova’s Darrun Hilliard stepped on his foot, but returned after a timeout and one possession.
Villanova made four of its first six shots, then shot 14 for 45 the rest of the way. Overall, the Wildcats shot 35 percent (18 for 51) and 36 percent from 3 (11 for 31).
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UConn had huge advantages in points off turnovers (20-2) and bench points (23-5). The Huskies also outrebounded the Wildcats, 36-30.
Connecticut held Villanova without a basket for 11:26 and 16 straight possessions late in the first half and without a point for 9:46.
Sophomore guard Ryan Arcidiacono led Villanova with 18 points and added four assists. James Bell added 14 points in his final game for the Wildcats, Darrun Hilliard added 13 and JayVaughn Pinkston added 11.
What it means
Villanova, which reached the Sweet 16 four times from 2005 through 2009, has now gone five consecutive years without getting to the regional semifinals.
The Wildcats finished the season 29-5, the second-most wins in school history. The 2009 Final Four team won 30.
Connecticut, which won three national titles between 1999 and 2011, reached the Sweet 16 for the first time under coach Kevin Ollie, the former Sixer, but the 14th time in the last 25 years.
Turning point
The Wildcats had just pulled within three on a James Bell three midway through the second half when the Huskies hit three threes in 92 seconds -- one by Lasan Kromah and two by Napier -- to quickly extend the lead to double digits for the first time.
By the numbers
Napier picked up his second foul with 12:09 left in the first half and sat the rest of the half. UConn outscored Villanova, 18-8, with Napier on the bench. … Bell, a first-team all-Big East pick and Villanova’s only senior starter, ended his personal streak of missed 3’s at 16 when he hit one with 13:49 left in the first half. He added three more and finished 4 for 9 from 3. … The Huskies shot 44 percent from the field (23 for 42) and 45 percent from 3 (9 for 20).
What's next
Connecticut seeks its 10th Elite 8 since 1990 on Friday at Madison Square Garden when it faces the winner of Sunday's game between No. 3 seed Iowa State and No. 6 North Carolina in San Antonio.