March Madness 2022: Samuels powers Villanova over Michigan 63-55 in Sweet 16

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The Villanova Wildcats have made quite a second home for themselves in the Alamo City, where they won a national championship in 2018 and are carving a path toward another.

Jermaine Samuels scored 22 points, Collin Gillespie scored 12 and made a key 3-pointer late, and Villanova controlled Michigan in a 63-55 Sweet 16 victory on Thursday night in the NCAA Tournament.

Samuels and Gillespie were freshmen in that title run a few years ago. Now, they are grizzled veterans and long-time starters who are still around because of the extra season of eligibility due to the pandemic.

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Villanova guard Caleb Daniels, right, fouls Michigan forward Moussa Diabate during the second half of a college basketball game in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament on Thursday, March 24, 2022, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

They're also the driving force for second-seeded Villanova (28-7), which advanced to the South Region final. They'll play No. 5 seed Houston (32-5), which beat top seed Arizona 72-60. It’s the deepest run in the tournament for Villanova since coach Jay Wright won the second of his two national titles in 2018 — against Michigan.

Samuels' 8-of-13 shooting performance, much of it coming on tough drives through Michigan defenders and around Wolverines 7-foot-1 center Hunter Dickinson, carried a Wildcats offense that had long stretches of misfiring on 3-pointers.

Samuels battled Dickinson on both ends of the court, and challenged the big man every time he had the ball to divert shots or force outlet passes.

"I just wanted to stay mobile and move," Samuels said. "He’s a phenomenal player, so