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NEW YORK — When Villanova closed out the first half of its NCAA Tournament opener against UNC Asheville with four threes in 2½ minutes, it seemed like just another big Villanova run against an overmatched opponent.
What was interesting about the run was who made those threes.
Josh Hart, Villanova’s leading scorer? Nope.
Kris Jenkins, who’s made the second-most threes in Division I in March? Nope.
Phil Booth, the versatile sophomore off the bench? Nope.
Senior Ryan Arcidiacono made two of them, but the other two came courtesy of freshmen — Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson.
That 12-4 run propelled Villanova to a double-digit lead on the way to an 86-56 win over Asheville and a Sunday game against Iowa back at the Barclays Center (see breakdown).
Bridges and Brunson, both playing in their first NCAA Tournament game, combined to make 9 of 16 shots, 4 of 8 threes, score 22 points and add seven rebounds and four assists.
“It was great for them to go out there and play the way they did,” Hart said. “This is what you dream about. This is what you watch every year. You fill out a bracket, you compare it with your friends, all that.
“So for them to come in here as freshmen and play like that, it’s crazy. You’re living your dream. And it was great to see them not get outside themslves, not to get outside the team goals. They played the way they’re supposed to play and did what they were supposed to do, and it was great to see.”
Brunson, the prize recruit from Chicago, has been starting all year at point guard. Bridges, a redshirt forward from Great Valley High School in Malvern, Pennsylvania, has been one of Jay Wright’s first guys off the bench.
This is the first time since 2008 (Corey Stokes, Corey Fisher, Antonio Pena) Wright has had two freshmen averaging over 6.0 points per game. Before that was 2003 (Curtis Sumpter, Allan Ray, Jason Fraser).
“It really excites me,” Wright said. “Especially in this environment. Part of this is you want to win. You want to win the tournament. But another part is your young guys getting experience in case you ever get back here again and that’s where it really benefits us.
“But those two getting positive minutes in that game helps us [Sunday] because we’re going to need them. We’re going to need that depth. So that was important, too.”
It looked like Brunson was wearing down late in the season. He had just 13 points and five assists in three Big East Tournament games and attempted only one three during the entire tourney.
“I’m not going to lie to you, I was getting tired,” Brunson said. “The whole team is tired at this point in the season, but you just have to be mentally tough and get through it.
“The week off definitely helped. Get some rest and come back strong.”
Brunson shot 4 for 7 for 10 points Friday and added three rebounds and three assists.
“I feel like there weren’t any jitters when I went out there,” the 6-foot-2 Brunson said. “First NCAA game. I felt like my teammates had my back, my coaches had confidence in me, and I just went out and played the way I know I can.”
Bridges shot 5 for 9 and contributed 12 points — one shy of his career high, set vs St. John’s at the Garden — and added four rebounds. Like Brunson, he played 26 minutes.
“It’s really the older guys and the coaches who have the confidence in the young guys and let us know what we’re capable of,” Bridges said.
“Stick to what we do, don’t get caught up in the crowd or the moment, how big it is. Just do what we do. It really starts for those guys.”
Villanova, No. 2 seed in the South, will seek to end its three-game losing streak in the NCAA Tournament second round Sunday when it faces No. 7 seed Iowa at the Barclays Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 12:10 p.m.
It’ll be the brightest spotlight yet for Villanova’s two freshmen, and against a deep, big, talented, physical Big Ten team like Iowa, Villanova needs them more than ever.
“It’s amazing, man, to see the way they played,” Jenkins said. “Just the growth that they’ve shown.
“We’ve been constantly on our young guys to let them know they're not freshmen anymore. This is NCAA Tournament time. The intensity jumps up and they’ve got to be even more committed to playing Villanova basketball than they have all year.”
Villanova, 31-5, is looking for its first trip to the Sweet 16 since 2009.
The winner Sunday will advance to the South Region semifinal round in Louisville on Thursday against Miami.
“The older guys tell us every day, ‘Don’t go out there and play like freshmen,'” the 6-7 Bridges said. “Play like you’ve been here before."
“We’ve been through the whole season already. Not freshmen anymore. Played in big games. Played at Virginia, played at Oklahoma, played in the Big East Tournament. We’ve been through it. We’re definitely not freshmen anymore.”