SAN DIEGO — Coach Kevin Willard knew the blueprint. If Villanova was going to beat Utah State and advance to the Round of 32, it was going to need to limit the ability of the Aggies’ guards to get into scoring areas and cause havoc. Villanova knew it: Utah State goes as Mason Falslev and MJ Collins Jr. go. Stopping the duo proved easier said than done. Falslev (22 points) and Collins (20) ...

From left, Utah State's MJ Collins, Adlan Elamin and Mason Falslev react during the second half against Villanova in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena at San Diego State University on Friday, March 20, 2026, in San Diego.

Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images North America/TNS

SAN DIEGO — Coach Kevin Willard knew the blueprint.

If Villanova was going to beat Utah State and advance to the Round of 32, it was going to need to limit the ability of the Aggies’ guards to get into scoring areas and cause havoc.

Villanova knew it: Utah State goes as Mason Falslev and MJ Collins Jr. go. Stopping the duo proved easier said than done. Falslev (22 points) and Collins (20) combined for 42 points to lift Utah State into the Round of 32 in a first-round West Regional matchup at Viejas Arena.

The Aggies advanced to face top-seeded Arizona. Villanova's season ended in an 86-76 loss.

Utah State’s experience against Villanova’s inexperience was the difference in the closing minutes. The Aggies used a critical 9-0 run to grab an 80-73 lead with just over two minutes to go. The run featured a pair of Villanova turnovers, one of them a five-second call when freshman guard Acaden Lewis failed to inbound the ball in time.

On the ensuing possession, Falslev found Collins on a backdoor cut for a wide-open layup. A few possessions later, Collins picked off an errant Bryce Lindsay pass and turned it into an easy slam for an 84-74 lead.

Villanova had eight second-half turnovers after just one in the first half.

The nation’s 12th-best 2-point offense by shot percentage showed why. How many guards combine for 42 points while making just one 3-pointer between the two of them?

The Wildcats, whose season finishes with a 24-9 record, had plenty of chances to win. They led by 10 with 17 minutes left.

Willard knew his team would need to make 3-pointers in order to crack Utah State’s matchup zone, and Lindsay almost shot the Wildcats into the next round. He finished with 25 points and shot 6 for 11 from 3-point range. Half of Villanova’s 28 makes from the field were from 3-point range.

Tyler Perkins and Duke Brennan each scored 15 points for Villanova. Malachi Palmer added 11 on 3-for-5 shooting from deep.

Villanova withstood an early onslaught from Utah State, which spent the first 10-plus minutes of the game running a clinic on how to get easy baskets.

Willard even joked to TNT sideline reporter Lauren Shehadi that he was going to fire his staff and replace them because Utah State was getting such clean looks at the rim off its baseline-out-of-bounds sets.

The Aggies led by as many as nine in the first half before Villanova settled in, put together some stops, and cut into the lead before taking its first lead with five minutes until halftime.

Villanova outscored Utah State by 24 from the three-point line alone in the opening 20 minutes behind a 45% shooting effort.

The Wildcats led 39-37 at halftime and then opened the second half on a 9-1 run to extend their lead to 10. But Utah State rallied with a 14-4 run of its own to knot the score.

It was tied again at 73-73 with 3 minutes, 54 seconds to go. Then Utah State seized the final minutes and ended Villanova’s season.