VILLANOVA, Pa. -- Patrick Farrell missed his first free throw, and was off on his second. With only 19 seconds left in the game, the pressure was on for Farrell to make the third. The Villanova fans stood and cheered, and his teammates were stoked, yelling from the bench at the sophomore forward that the final one would be good. Farrell practiced his motion, took a breath, released, and watched as the basketball bounced twice around the rim before it plopped through the net. The eighth-ranked Wildcats went wild, celebrating Farrells first point of the season like a game-winner, and not just the finishing touches of a 67-48 victory over Butler on Wednesday night. For a team that played about 30 minutes of basketball to forget, that moment of team bonding for the deepest of deep reserves was one to remember. "I love that," coach Jay Wright said. "Thats whats special about this team." The Wildcats (25-3, 13-2 Big East) survived one of their worst halves of the season to win for the ninth time in 10 games. They needed almost the first 10 minutes of the game to score 10 points, missed eight of their first nine 3-point attempts, and didnt have a player reach double digits in scoring until midway through the second half. "Youve got to find a way to grind against them," Wright said. "Ill take that." Darrun Hilliard and James Bell led them with only 11 points each and the Wildcats put up the kind of numbers that usually lead to a loss. Not against the lowly Bulldogs (12-16, 2-14). Butler was even worse, shooting only 26 per cent in the first half, and the Bulldogs lost their seventh straight game. The Wildcats had a small hot streak at the end of the first half, making 5 of 6 shots, to build enough of a cushion and slowly pull away. The Wildcats fell shy of their 79.9 points per game average and played for about 35 minutes looking nothing like the team that has become one of the best in the Big East. Each team took turns trading clunkers and clangers in the first 10 minutes, one reason the Wildcats only led 10-4. With 6 minutes left in the half, the Bulldogs and Wildcats combined for only 26 points. And no, Bo Ryan wasnt coaching either of the teams. The Pavilion had all the atmosphere of an art museum on a sleepy Sunday morning, making this one feel more like a bad NBA preseason game than the final on-campus home game of the season. Wright did let senior reserves Nick McMahon and Tony Chennault start -- though McMahon played only 20 seconds before he was benched for Ryan Arcidiacono. McMahon couldnt have been worse than the rest of the offence. Villanova missed 12 of its first 15 shots, most from 3-point range. The Wildcats were determined to keep shooting 3s until they fell. Bell and Arcidiacono did hit two straight near the end of the first half for a 28-15 lead. Butlers Kellen Dunham buried the shot of the game with a high banker for 3 that cut it to 34-20 at halftime. He led Butler with 12 points. Hard to believe these teams needed overtime before Villanova pulled out the win in their first matchup. "We didnt have it tonight," coach Brandon Miller said. "When you keep getting the results you dont want, it weighs on you a little bit." Bell was the lone senior regular for the Wildcats and exchanged an emotional hug with Wright after he checked out for the final time. "It was tough," Bell said. "I dont see my mom that much. My dad works a lot, doesnt really get the chance to get down that much. That was probably the toughest part, seeing my mom crying. Other than that, it was time to play." Pick a stat in the first half and both teams probably wish the number could be wiped from the record book. Butler missed 8 of 10 3s; Nova missed 12 of 16. Butler had two starters who went scoreless in the half. The Wildcats shot 38 per cent from the field. But theres a reason the Wildcats have spent most of the season in the Top 25, and they showed why in the second half, going more than 25 minutes without a turnover during a 16-3 run that stretched the lead to 24 points. Butler scored six baskets in the first half, and didnt reach seven for a second-half total until there was 1:51 left. While the Wildcats are in the hunt for a top-three seed in the NCAA tournament, the Bulldogs need a shocking conference tournament championship to have any shot at returning for some March Madness. "This is a really good group to coach," Wright said. "Its been a pleasure all year. But it cant let that prevent us from driving them and them driving themselves to get better." Jason Kidd Jersey . - Diego Fagundez scored his team-leading 13th goal of the season in the 76th minute to lift the Revolution to a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Crew on Saturday night that kept New Englands playoff hopes alive. Dragan Bender Jersey .com) - Ryan Miller made 28 saves to record his fifth shutout of the season and second in as many nights as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 3-0 on Friday. http://www.officialsunsfanstore.com/stev...-suns-jersey/.7 million, one-year contract.The deal, announced Friday, includes a $50,000 performance bonus if the left-hander appears in 60 games. Penny Hardaway Jersey . Bjoergen pulled away from Swedens Charlotte Kalla on the final straight to win in 38 minutes, 33.6 seconds and defend her title from the 2010 Vancouver Games. Kalla was 1.8 seconds back. Heidi Weng of Norway took bronze. Leandro Barbosa Jersey .com) - Novak Djokovic easily took care of Andy Murray to reach the final at the $2.Carl Robinsons reaction said it all. As Pedro Morales turned home Steven Beitashours shot to give the Whitecaps a 2-1 lead late in the game against Real Salt Lake, our cameras showed Robinson leaping high into the air, fist pumped - a release of tension as much as a show of joy. This was a game the Whitecaps had to win. A week on from the doom and gloom of a heavy defeat in Portland, there was a much different feel ahead of the game at BC Place. Toronto FCs incredible comeback win against the Timbers earlier in the day had handed the Caps the chance to leapfrog Portland back into the playoff places. The Whitecaps players arrived with a spring in their step, knowing they had a golden opportunity. After getting a favour from across the country, the Whitecaps had to get the job done themselves, something they have struggled with since the World Cup break, so when Pedro Morales missed a penalty with the last kick of the first half, there was an all too familiar feeling of deflation around BC Place. Robinson said the half-time team talk was his hardest of the season, and the Caps playoff chances took another turn for the worse when Nat Borchers headed in to give RSL the lead shortly after halftime. But on this occasion, the Whitecaps responded in a positive manner. Theres little doubt Pedro Morales is running in an empty tank. The Designated Player has been playing for 14 months straight, but the captain was able to dig deep in the second half and produced the type of performance that was his trademark in the early months of the season. Having already missed a penalty, Morales showed guts and leadership to step up and take another. He was also on hand to score the winner, and pulled the strings effectively for the Caps after the break. All this after he was nearly taken off at halftime. The Chilean now has 10 goals and 10 assists in his first MLS season and is a lead candidate for the leagues Newcomer of the Year award. For the first time in a while, the Whitecaps young substitutes were able to come on and impact the game. Kekuta Manneh was back to his best, running at defenders and creating chances. He only had 13 minutes to influence the match, but he managed to do so.dddddddddddd It is something that has been seen too rarely from the 19-year-old this season. He proved again on Saturday that he has all the tools necessary to become a top player, but consistency is a major concern - not just on matchday but in training as well. Darren Mattocks had a much better day than he did in Portland a week earlier and Nicolas Mezquida also played a valuable role off the bench. But on Saturday, there were strong performances throughout the lineup. David Ousted was superb in goal, Matias Laba was excellent throughout, and Russell Teibert had his best performance of the season in the holding midfield role alongside Laba in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Teibert also showed the leadership skills that will likely see him become a future club captain. He was the one to step in and sort things out between Manneh and Mezquida when tempers flared following a delightful run from Manneh who opted to shoot rather than feed Mezquida, who would have had a clear sight at goal. One other moment that caught the eye came late in the game as Mauro Rosales once again proved what a valuable addition he has been to this team. Having left the game, the veteran midfielder was heavily involved on the sidelines, coaching and offering his thoughts to Robinson. With the way this squad has been built, it would be great to see Rosales stay next season - maybe even in a player-coach role. The Whitecaps had to ride a few nervy moments towards the end, but they stood firm to deny Real Salt Lake a point that would have confirmed their place in the playoffs for the seventh straight season. Theres no doubt RSL will make it, but whether the Whitecaps will join them is unlikely to be decided until the very end. The Caps havent been consistently good enough in the last few months, but Saturdays win has at least ensured their fate is back in their own hands. After an emotion-filled afternoon, they have to go though it all again next week with a home match against fourth-placed FC Dallas. With a one point lead over Portland in the chase for fifth spot, there is little margin for error. Vancouver Whitecaps against FC Dallas is live on TSN 2 on Saturday at 7pm et/4pm pt Cheap Celtics JerseysWholesale Nets JerseysCheap Knicks JerseysCheap Stitched 76ers JerseysRaptors Jerseys ChinaCheap Bulls JerseysWholesale Cavaliers JerseysPistons Jerseys ChinaPacers Jerseys ChinaCheap Bucks Jerseys OnlineWholesale Hawks JerseysCheap Hornets JerseysWholesale Heat JerseysCheap Magic Jerseys AuthenticWholesale Wizards JerseysNuggets Jerseys ChinaTimberwolves Jerseys ChinaCheap Thunder Jerseys AuthenticWholesale Blazers JerseysWholesale Jazz JerseysCheap Warriors Jerseys For SaleCheap Clippers JerseysLakers Jerseys ChinaWholesale Suns JerseysCheap Kings Jerseys AuthenticCheap Mavericks JerseysRockets Jerseys ChinaCheap Grizzlies JerseysWholesale Pelicans JerseysSpurs Jerseys China ' ' '