VILLANOVA, Pa. -- Sophmore Nancy Bernhardt scored a game-high 37 points Tuesday night to lead Villanova to an 87-72 victory over Delta State and into the Final Four of AIAW competition.
Villanova plays Rutgers in the semifinals Friday night in Norfolk, Va.
The Wildcats, who never trailed, built a 15-point lead, their largest of the game, with two seconds remaining on two free throws by Stephanie Vanderslice, who contributed 14 points, including 12 in the second half.
The Wildcats, 28-3, also scored on a 9-2 run with 13:44 remaining in the first half to break an 8-8 tie with one bucket by Vanderslice and three by Bernhardt, who shot 13-for-24 from the floor.
Kathie Beisel scored on a jumper to give the Wildcats a 53-43 advantage.
The loss was the first in 14 games of national tournament play for the Lady Statesmen, 24-15.
Forward Lisa Ortlit contributed 16 points for Villanova.
Freshman center Deborah Temple finished with a team-high 29 points for Delta State despite a bad knee. Fellow freshman Ida Johnson collected 16 points and 11 rebounds.
