Cats win NIT Championship, 80-73

Villanova rallies back from 15-point deficit, beats Vanderbilt in final

After watching the Villanova Wildcats overcome the long odds so many times this season, it was not entirely unrealistic to believe that they could overcome a 15-point halftime deficit in the NIT championship game against Vanderbilt.

"I’ve seen them do all kinds of things," said Head Coach Steve Lappas. "I’ve seen them... come back from 11 with 1:30 to go. For us, 17 [points down] in the first half; that’s funny!"

Sure enough, the Cats had the last laugh in the second half, outscoring the Commodores 50-32 for the 80-73 win at Madison Square Garden March 30. NIT All-Tournament player Kerry Kittles held Vandy’s go-to player Billy McCaffrey to a comical five points, while scoring 16 of his 18 points in the second half. But every player that took the floor for ‘Nova pitched in and all the Cats can now afford to chuckle at the pre-season prognosticators who vastly underestimated this team that finished the season at 20-12.

"There wasn’t a person... in this country who thought we could be any good this year," said Lappas. "I think it proved something about what it takes to be good."

What it took was a stellar all-around team effort after looking entirely outclassed during the game’s first 20 minutes. Rising to the task were Kittles and fellow All-NIT selection Jonathan Haynes, who led ‘Nova with 19 points and five assists. As the Wildcats continued to dwarf Vandy’s lead, these two came up time and time again with crucial shots.

With two the Tourney finalists playing neck-and-neck late in the game, Kittles and Haynes elevated the surging Wildcats decisively over Vanderbilt. Trailing 70-67, ‘Nova tied the game with 4:08 remaining in the game when Kittles hit a straightaway three-pointer. Following a steal from freshman Alvin Williams, Haynes hit a three-pointer and the Cats were suddenly up 73-70. Stifling crunchtime defense conserved this lead until the game’s waning seconds.

A three-pointer by Vanderbilt sophomore Frank Seckar brought the Commodores within three, 76-73, with :14.9 left on the clock. Seckar had bee lofting treys with pinpoint accuracy all night, finishing with 30 points by shooting 8-for-12 behind the arc. But once again, prime-time play by the Wildcats nullified Seckar’s long-distance display. Sophomore Eric Eberz, who drained two free throws, buried any remaining hope of a Vanderbilt comeback.

"It’s hard to be prouder of a bunch of guys than I am today," said Lappas. "It’s my first major title as a head coach. We won the regular season when I was at Manhattan, but this is the NIT, and this is a very special moment for me personally, and for these kids."

The players celebrated in style after the final buzzer, trimming down the net amidst all the pandemonium created by the Villanova students, who had surged onto the fabled Garden floor. Williams triumphantly sat atop the basket as he cut the nylon and ‘Nova fans hammed it up for the ESPN cameras.

The Cats would never have arrived at this scene if they had repeated their woeful effort of the first half. ‘Nova’s perimeter defense was nonexistent, and Vandy took advantage of the opportunity, shooting 6-for-10 from treyland, and overall field-goal shooting of 51.5 percent. Offensively, ‘Nova was faring no better; none of the Wildcats scored any more than six points in the first period. Vanderbilt’s lead reached 17 points before heading to the locker rooms with a 41-26 lead.

For several minutes after intermission, it seemed as though the situation was only going to grow worse for the Cats. Freshman Jason Lawson hung rim on an alley-oop feed from Kittles that made the score 41-30, but he proceeded to draw his third and fourth fouls in rapid succession and had sit for most of the rest of the game. The Wildcats were forced to dig in their heels without their main inside threat.

We’ve played [without Lawson] a lot this year, so that’s not a first," said Lappas. "They don’t get fazed, these guys. That’s one thing they’ve taught me. They’re a lot calmer than I am."

Midway through the second half, ‘Nova began to match Vanderbilt’s feats from treyland, going on an 18-7 run. As the scoring margin grew smaller, the Cats and their many fans at the Garden seemed to get increasingly charged up. Haynes and Williams connected for back-to-back threes, and Kittles nailed a third from NBA range with the shot clock running out. ‘Nova had climbed within one point of the Commodores, 57-56. A Kittles jump from the top of the key put the Wildcats on top 58-57, and Vandy had lost too much momentum to ever build up another substantial lead.

As winners of the 1994 NIT, Villanova became the 15th school ever to win both an NCAA Championship and an NIT title. More importantly, Lappas (now 28-31 at Villanova) has brought hope to this program that has been without it for years. This season was the first time ‘Nova has won 20 games since 1988, when the Cats reached the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA’s.

By now, anyone associated with Villanova basketball has learned how erroneous pre-season predictions can be, but the Wildcats will not be ignored when next year’s forecasts are made. They finished the season 13-3 in their final 16 games, and do not graduate any scholarship players. For a moment after the game, Haynes’ thoughts were already on the other Tournament in 1995.

"I think it will help us next year, having the poise, having the experience of playing a tournament, and knowing what it takes to get to the championship and win it," said Haynes.

But for the most part, this was not a time to think about the future. The pandemonium on the floor was celebrating the present – a young team that came of age far earlier than anybody predicted. Madison Square Garden security could not contain the elation of the Villanova fans and players whose long-dormant program was resurrected during the 1993-94 season. The future for ‘Nova basketball could not possibly look any brighter.