Villanova

Yes, it really was this season that Villanova was rolling and thinking about a Big East title. The Wildcats hit No. 5 in the poll. They were 16-1. They knocked off tournament-bound teams. Then came the cave in. For the second year in a row. Villanova’s 61-57 loss to George Mason in the East regional yesterday was the final dismal defeat of a second half full of them. The Wildcats end the season on a six-game losing streak. Their last win? Try an overtime victory Feb. 19 against DePaul, the team that finished last in the Big East.

Colonial Athletic Association Commissioner Tom Yeager has lost two long-time member universities in the last week, and is now shopping for replacements. He's not happy about the task ahead. "There isn't a commissioner around that doesn't think that this is a despicable part of our jobs," Yeager said. "In the last few days, I've been in conversations with other commissioners that weren't pleasant, and these are old friends. But I've been on the other side of those, too. It's never pleasant, but I think people understand the process.

A loss to New Hampshire Oct. 10 in Durham was the only blemish on Villanova’s impressive season. Yesterday, the Wildcats erased it - in a big way. Angelo Babbaro ran for 148 yards and two touchdowns to lead Villanova to a 46-7 rout of visiting New Hampshire in the Football Championship Subdivision quarterfinals. Villanova (12-1), which has won seven in a row since the 28-24 loss to UNH, advances to host William & Mary in the semifinals next weekend. Villanova’s defense dominated New Hampshire (10-3)

By Craig Forde, Globe Correspondent Mansfield High School senior Josh Lampron has been selected to compete in the adidas Dream Mile on June 9th in New York City. The Dream Mile is part of the adidas Grand Prix -- a premiere track-and-field showcase now in its eighth year -- held at Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island, featuring Olympic medalists and World Champions. Lampron was chosen after running a 3:45.74 in the 1500 meters at the New Balance Boston Twilight Series at Bentley College last Saturday.

Allan Ray scored 27 points and Jason Fraser added a career-high 25 points and 13 rebounds as Villanova hung on for an 83-78 overtime victory at Providence last night. Villanova (9-2, 2-1 Big East) won for just the second time in the last 14 games at Providence and the Wildcats snapped a four-game road losing streak to the Friars (9-6, 0-2). Providence, which was led by Ryan Gomes's 28 points, committed a season-high 30 turnovers. The Friars also had a school-record 16 blocks, one shy of the conference mark set by Georgetown against Providence in 1989.

One week earlier, President Barack Obama was in attendance. Yesterday, the Georgetown Hoyas further displayed their drawing power by attracting more than 10,000 fans on a day when a fierce snowstorm blanketed the nation’s capital. Those on hand saw quite a show. Austin Freeman scored 25 points, Jason Clark had 24, and the seventh-ranked Hoyas forced 16 first-half turnovers in a 103-90 victory that ended No. 2 Villanova’s 11-game winning streak and ruined the Wildcats’ perfect Big East record.

Anthony Crater scored on a driving layup with 5.1 seconds remaining, and a last-ditch shot by Maalik Wayns at the buzzer bounced off the back of the rim, allowing South Florida to upset Villanova, 70-69, last night at Madison Square Garden in the Big East tournament. The Wildcats (21-11) squandered a 16-point halftime lead, completing their collapse when Wayns threw away an inbound pass with 22.8 seconds left that Crater converted into a layup to put the Bulls up, 68-67. Wayns looked as though he might redeem himself when he was fouled by Toarlyn Fitzpatrick on his own drive...

PHILADELPHIA -- Dwayne Anderson and Dante Cunningham each scored 25 points, and Villanova rallied from a 14-point hole to beat upset-minded American, 80-67, yesterday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The third-seeded Wildcats (27-7) lost their home-court advantage and nearly lost the game, needing a late 19-2 run in the East Regional to fend off the Patriot League champions. The 14th-seeded Eagles (24-8) sizzled from 3-point range early and pushed Villanova to the brink of a monumental upset.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Matt Szczur caught two touchdown passes, ran for 159 yards, and had another 68 yards receiving, leading Villanova to its first Football Championship Subdivision title with a 23-21 victory over Montana last night. No. 2 Villanova (14-1) won the title in its first championship game appearance and 25 seasons after coach Andy Talley was hired to rebuild the program after the school’s four-year absence from the sport. “Our guys played great. Montana is a super team,’’ Talley said.

PHILADELPHIA — Shabazz Napier swished a 29-footer with 0.6 seconds left in overtime, and Jeremy Lamb scored a career-high 32 points to help Connecticut stun Villanova 73-70 Monday night. Ty Johnson appeared to send the game to double OT on his tying layup for Villanova off a missed UConn free throw. But Napier, who questioned the heart of his teammates after a loss Saturday at Marquette, hit the pull-up 3 and got all net in the final ticks to keep the defending champion Huskies' NCAA tournament hopes alive.

South Florida had a lot celebrate this season. Now the Bulls can only hope there is at least one more game to play. They came to the Big East tournament with 12 conference wins, their most ever, and Stan Heath was selected Coach of the Year. There was the second-round win over Villanova that moved them into the quarterfinals for the first time. Those all became points to argue for a postseason bid after sixth-seeded South Florida lost 57-53 in overtime to 23rd-ranked and third-seeded Notre Dame on Thursday night.

Nearly a decade after Temple's moribund football program was pushed out of the Big East, the revitalized Owls are rejoining the conference — and bringing along their potent men's basketball team. The school will move to the Big East for football next season and all other sports in 2013. "We didn't deserve, truthfully, to be in the football competition in those years. But it's hard to get kicked out," Lewis Katz, chairman of Temple's athletic committee, said at a news conference during the Big East men's basketball tournament Wednesday.

Shoni Schimmel scored 15 of her 20 points in the first half and No. 20 Louisville beat Villanova 63-47 on Saturday night in the second round of the Big East tournament. Asia Taylor added 13 points for the Cardinals (22-8), who will face No. 18 St. John's in the quarterfinals on Sunday. Leading 38-33 early in the second half, Louisville went on a 22-8 run over the next 13 minutes to take control. Taylor got the burst started with back-to-back layups. Then Shawnta' Dyer took over scoring seven of her nine points during the spurt.

Devon Kane scored all 10 of her points in the final 5:53 as Villanova held off a furious Seton Hall rally to win 61-60 Friday night in the Big East tournament first round. After Kane's three-point play with 1:42 remaining gave the 10th-seeded Wildcats (17-13) their biggest lead, 55-47, Villanova made just 6 of 14 free throws to barely hang on. Jasmine Crew scored nine straight points as the 15th-seeded Pirates (8-23) closed to 58-56 with 32 seconds left. Kane answered with two free throws, but Alexis Brown's layup got Seton Hall back within two. With 13...

After a rough road trip, Notre Dame coach Mike Brey was thinking about home. "Let's get this over with," Brey said with a smile as he stepped to the podium for his postgame news conference. "I'm ready to go back to South Bend, man. " Who could blame him? Held to 33 percent shooting from the field, including 3 for 17 on 3-point attempts, and its lowest point total in nearly four years, No. 20 Notre Dame lost 59-41 to No. 11 Georgetown on Monday night in a key game for Big East tournament seeding.

Otto Porter had to leave the game after 34 seconds, the victim of a flagrant elbow from Maurice Sutton that left the Georgetown freshman lying on the court and bleeding from the mouth. So much for the glory of a making only a second appearance in the starting lineup. He was back in a few minutes, however, motivated by the nasty hit and ready to help lead the Hoyas to some of their best basketball of the season. His backdoor layup and two free throws gave No. 9 Georgetown a 17-point first-half lead, and his fadeaway 3-pointer with a suspenseful...

DETROIT - Kansas toyed with Villanova, throwing alley-oop passes off the backboard and raining 3-pointers from all over the court without breaking a sweat. Brandon Rush scored 16 points, Russell Robinson had 15, and top-seeded Kansas routed the 12th-seeded Wildcats, 72-57, last night to earn a spot in the NCAA Midwest Regional final. Tomorrow, the Jayhawks (34-3) will be a huge favorite to end 10th-seeded Davidson's stay in the tournament and advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2003.

Scottie Reynolds ends every Villanova practice by shooting free throws that simulate the score and the clock as if the game is on the line. The Wildcats call the drill "Win the game. " That's exactly what Reynolds did. Reynolds scored 18 points and sank the winning free throws with 4.8 seconds left to lift No. 15 host Villanova (9-1) to a 59-56 win over Saint Joseph's (4-5) last night. "That's the greatest thing you can give a player is the ball in your hands at the end of the game," Reynolds said.

One player was hurt during warmups and another was far from his best, yet somehow Villanova managed to put together a rally against No. 9 Georgetown. A 17-point lead was cut to four when Dominic Cheek hit a 3-pointer late in the first half. Then Georgetown's Otto Porter took a 3-pointer that hit the front of the rim, tantalizingly bounced up and fell into the net. Momentum stopped. If it's possible to cite one crucial moment in a 21-point loss, that unlucky break would rank near the top in the Wildcats' 67-46 loss to the Hoyas on Saturday.

PHILADELPHIA — Shabazz Napier swished a 29-footer with 0.6 seconds left in overtime, and Jeremy Lamb scored a career-high 32 points to help Connecticut stun Villanova 73-70 Monday night. Ty Johnson appeared to send the game to double OT on his tying layup for Villanova off a missed UConn free throw. But Napier, who questioned the heart of his teammates after a loss Saturday at Marquette, hit the pull-up 3 and got all net in the final ticks to keep the defending champion Huskies' NCAA tournament hopes alive.