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PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Only four No. 15 seeds had ever beaten a No. 2 in the NCAA Tournament. And the last time it had happened was 2001.

No team from the Northeast Conference had ever been able to advance in the Madness, either.

For almost 36 minutes yesterday afternoon at the Dunkin' Donuts Center, it looked as if Robert Morris was going to become part of history on both counts.

The Colonials led Villanova by eight points with 4:19 to go. They were that close to fulfilling the dream. But the Wildcats, who had trailed 14th-seeded American by 14 early in the second half in Philadelphia a year ago, did what they do best. They put their fate pretty much into the hands of Scottie Reynolds.

And as he has done so often throughout his career, he was up to the challenge.

The Wildcats advanced, 73-70. But they needed overtime to do so. And the only reason they got an extra 5 minutes was because Reynolds, who couldn't make anything from the field, kept getting to the line down the stretch in regulation. He made 7 of 8 free throws in a little less than 2 minutes, then converted the two clinching freebies with .9 seconds to go in OT. He also made a 3-pointer, one of only two field goals in 15 tries, that extended Villanova's advantage to six with just over a minute left.

Reynolds, who didn't start because of what coach Jay Wright termed a "minor teaching point," only missed one of 14 foul shots.

"Everyone was against us," Reynolds said. "It was crazy. But we've been there."

So had the Colonials (23-12), who led Michigan State late in the first half of a first-round matchup last March before losing by 15.

But this was different.

"My inside just got torn out," Robert Morris coach Mike Rice said. "We talked about believing. We talked about laying it all on the floor. They truly did that. I'm proud to coach them."

Afterward, Rice and the players walked across the court to applaud their fans who made the trip.

"You appreciate the effort they gave us," Rice acknowledged. "Including the three buses of students that left at 9 p.m. [Wednesday] night to drive all night so we could be represented. I just wanted to make sure [they knew]."

The Colonials had three players foul out, two in regulation, including their point guard. But they still had a chance right until the end, as Mezie Nwige's off-balance 3-pointer from straightaway hit off the back of the rim.

"We just tried to make plays and stick together," Nwige said.

Against most teams, it might have been enough. Villanova is not most teams, even if it had lost five of its past seven.

"There was no fear - just confidence," said Robert Morris freshman Karon Abraham, who made 5 of 11 triples and finished with a game-high 23 points. "There's nothing to be afraid of because they put on the jersey just like I put on the jersey."

The Colonials, who led at the half by six, finished with six more rebounds. But they only had eight assists on 22 buckets and turned it over 21 times. Villanova shot only 35 percent from the floor but attempted 14 more free throws.

Wildcats freshman center Mouphtaou Yarou had his best game of the season, with 17 points, 8 boards and 3 blocks. Maurice Sutton, their 11th man, also had 4 blocks in his 17 minutes.

Villanova will now face 10th-seeded St. Mary's (California) on Saturday. The Gaels (27-5) moved on with a 80-71 win over seventh-seeded Richmond (26-9).

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