So ends an absolutely magical season for Winthrop. I’ll have more on the year in the season-ending epilogue.

Before you proceed, support my good friend, colleague, and boss Alex Zietlow and read his story on the game. Once you do, let’s go Inside the Numbers on Villanova’s 73-63 victory over Winthrop in the first round of the 2021 NCAA tournament.

  • Second-half struggles: Winthrop led by a bucket with 1:27 to play in the first half, and had the chance to take the lead to the interval. The final try of the opening stanza would not fall for the Eagles, and Winthrop headed to the locker room down a point. The Eagles held Villanova to just nine second-half field goals, but could not do much to answer the punch. Winthrop converted on just eight of its 29 second-half tries (28 percent) and hit 3-of-13 threes (21 percent) in the half, as the Wildcats clamped down on Big South Player of the Year Chandler Vaudrin and kept center DJ Burns in foul trouble. Burns eventually fouled out with 12 points and four boards in 19 minutes.
  • There’s (not) a lot of opportunities: Maybe it’s the stupid commercial with the singing hood ornament that led me to this bullet point title, but it’s more likely the six turnovers Winthrop forced in the game. Four of those turnovers came on charge calls. This kept Winthrop from getting out in transition — the Eagles converted those turnovers into just three points — and hampered the Eagles’ offense.
  • Shots, shots, shot-shot-shot-shots: Of Villanova’s 52 shot attempts in the game, 29 of them came from two players (Justin Moore and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl). Robinson-Earl tallied a 22-point, 11-board double-double as the Eagles struggled to front or double during the times when Burns was off the floor. Robinson-Earl tried several contested mid-range jumpers and threes — which Winthrop seemed content to allow — but he proved unstoppable near the tin. Justin Moore knocked down 5-of-13, which proved large.
  • A tough first night — sort of: Vaudrin connected on just 2-of-10 tries from the deck in his first NCAA tournament appearance, tallying just nine points. He did, however, haul in 11 boards and dish seven dimes.. Villanova did an outstanding job of anticipating passes and filling passing lanes. Vaudrin committed five turnovers in the contest.

And finally, the Hustle Stats:

  • Points in the paint:  Winthrop 28, Villanova 26
  • Points off turnovers:  Villanova 15, Winthrop 3
  • Second-chance points:  Winthrop 8, Villanova 6
  • Fast-break points:  Villanova 12, Winthrop 7
  • Points per possession: Villanova 1.197, Winthrop .969

VILLANOVA 73, WINTHROP 63

WINTHROP (0-1): Burns 5-8 2-4 12, Anumba 3-4 0-0 7, Falden 3-7 2-2 9, Vaudrin 2-10 5-8 9, Zunic 2-6 2-2 8, Claxton 2-3 1-1 5, Arms 3-8 2-2 10, Corbin 0-5 0-0 0, Jones 1-3 0-0 3, Talford 0-3 0-0 0, King 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 21-58 14-19 63.

VILLANOVA (1-0): Robinson-Earl 7-15 8-11 22, Samuels 4-9 3-4 11, Arcidiacono 0-0 0-0 0, Daniels 3-8 2-3 10, Moore 5-13 3-4 15, Antoine 2-2 2-2 8, Slater 0-2 1-2 1, Swider 2-3 0-0 6, Dixon 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-52 19-26 73.

Halftime—Villanova 34-33. 3-Point Goals—Winthrop 7-22 (Zunic 2-4, Arms 2-5, Anumba 1-1, Jones 1-2, Falden 1-4, King 0-1, Corbin 0-5), Villanova 8-26 (Antoine 2-2, Swider 2-3, Daniels 2-6, Moore 2-8, Samuels 0-2, Slater 0-2, Robinson-Earl 0-3). Fouled Out—Burns, Claxton. Rebounds—Winthrop 34 (Vaudrin 11), Villanova 31 (Robinson-Earl 12). Assists—Winthrop 13 (Vaudrin 7), Villanova 11 (Robinson-Earl 7). Total Fouls—Winthrop 23, Villanova 21.