PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Villanova Coach Jay Wright held his two leading scorers out of the starting lineup for the Wildcats' first-round NCAA tournament game against 15th-seeded Robert Morris.  While the decision hardly decided the overtime thriller that followed Thursday, it set an ominous tone for the Wildcats, who narrowly averted becoming only the fifth No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament to fall in the first round.  In the end, Villanova sloughed off a woeful, 35 percent shooting performance to advance, 73-70, squashing the history-making hopes of a team of undersize upstarts who had outplayed the Wildcats most of the game.  Villanova (25-7) was led by senior Scottie Reynolds, who managed 20 points despite hitting just two of his 15 shots from the floor. Reynolds, who was withheld from the starting lineup for the first time all season along with junior Corey Fisher, hit a clutch three-pointer that kept Villanova in it down the stretch.  Robert Morris (23-11) was led by a freshman scarcely bigger than a jockey, Karon Abraham (5 feet 9, 150 pounds), who had 23 points.  It was a stunningly close call for Villanova, which reached the Final Four last year and still commanded enough respect in the view of the NCAA selection committee to warrant a No. 2 seed in the South Region despite losing five of its last seven games.  Villanova was soundly outplayed at both ends of the court for more than half the game. While neither team had much size, Robert Morris outrebounded the Wildcats 21-10 in the first half.  Villanova trailed by eight with 4 minutes 19 seconds remaining. Reynolds knotted the score at 55 with a pair of free throws with 1:47 left but badly missed a layup to win it in regulation.  In overtime, Reynolds hit his first three-pointer and only his second field goal of the game to put the Wildcats up, 67-61.  But Abraham refused to quit, swishing his fifth three-pointer with 10 seconds left to pull Robert Morris within one.  Reynolds put it out of reach at the free throw line.  Wright declined to explain his decision to hold the two stars out for roughly the first four minutes, saying it was "a simple thing" but something he chose to highlight for his younger players' benefit.  "The values of our program are more important than a game, a starter or a player," Wright said.  -- SAINT MARY'S 80, RICHMOND 71: With an overpowering performance by 6-11 center Omar Samhan, the 10th-seeded Gaels overcame a 10-day hiatus and a cross-country trek to capture their first NCAA tournament win since 1959.  Saint Mary's (27-5) got its long-awaited victory at the expense of the seventh-seeded Spiders.  Samhan scored 29 points even though he spent much of the second half on the bench with four fouls. Shifting their offensive focus to the perimeter, the Gaels then got production from guard Mickey McConnell, who added 23 points.  Richmond's back-court duo of David Gonzalvez and Kevin Anderson combined for 34 points. But it simply wasn't enough -- particularly given the way Saint Mary's manhandled the Spiders (26-9) on the boards, outrebounding Richmond 40-16.
Despite not getting the start due to disciplinary reasons, Scottie Reynolds (20 points) helps lead Villanova past the Robert Morris Colonials, 73-70 in overtime.