The party goes on for Villanova, into the NCAA Sweet 16

Monday night, Villanova’s Finneran Pavilion packed in with witnesses, there to see something special, last rows full, student section bouncing, March Madness on the Main Line.

The sub-plot: One last chance to see Maddy Siegrist live?

This generational talent and her Villanova Wildcats teammates, they did provide. Their season, terrific all along … now officially special. Their last home appearance, a showcase for what has made this group so special.

Next stop for Villanova, the NCAA Sweet 16, after taking out Florida Gulf Coast, 76-57. As soon as it was over, players turned halfcourt into a dance party. They looked like they wanted to turn the student section into a mosh pit.

With her 31 points, Siegrist set an NCAA Division I record (most 20-point games to start a season, 35 straight.) Villanova set a program record with 30 wins, breaking the mark held by Villanova’s 1981-82 AIAW Final Four team. Wildcats coach Denise Dillon won her 400th career game.

“Took a shower,” Dillon said, her own hair wet and askew when she got to the post-game media conference after a locker room celebration.

Such a strong basketball tradition at Villanova, Siegrist said, “Everyone wants to leave their mark.”

This kind of game, NCAA tournament pressure grabs a seat, too. The NCAA second round is so often the pressure game, a no-regrets season on the line. How would Villanova handle that?

An early answer: Who, us? Pressure? The Wildcats tore out of the starting gate, cutting to spots the visitors simply couldn’t reach. A Villanova sophomore guard took a star turn of her own, owning both ends of the court.

“You know you have to punch first in these type of games,” Siegrist said later.

» READ MORE: Villanova hits historic heights in win over Florida Gulf Coast, advances to Sweet 16

This time, it was the other coach who talked about “being a little frazzled” early. “To me, Villanova is a Final Four-level team,” said Florida Gulf Coast coach Karl Smesko. “That’s how good I think they are.”

The atmosphere, Florida Gulf Coast star Sha Carter said, was normal, except for, you know, “Trying to hear each other.” Florida Gulf Coast, 33-4 for the season, did eventually apply pressure. Villanova’s 26-11 early extravaganza was mostly gone by halftime, the visitors within 39-33.

Villanova simply tore away again, this time for good.

This was it for Villanova home games, Villanova moving on to Greenville, S.C., a Friday, 2:30 p.m. date with Sweet 16 surprise entry Miami up next (ESPN).

Again, the pressure at this stage is real. By seeding, Indiana was supposed to be Villanova’s next opponent, the top seed in the region, but the Hoosiers fell behind No. 9 seed Miami early playing Monday on its homecourt, that game up for grabs to the last seconds, the Hurricanes scoring the last one. Bye bye, IU.

Even seeing the Florida Gulf Coast uniforms causes flashbacks to a decade ago … Florida Gulf Coast’s men at the Wells Fargo Center, taking it over with the Dunk City show, taking out Georgetown and San Diego State.

Jay Wright was in the house and he knows about special seasons, but Wright had his second-round scars along the way, too.

So just remember those opening moments. Siegrist got her buckets. Florida Gulf Coast’s coach said it was so hard to gameplan for Siegrist in one day. “I haven’t seen many players hit so many hard shots that she was able to hit.”

Sophomore guard Lucy Olsen really put on an early show. A star of the future was a star of the moment. That 26-11 lead included this Olsen line: 9 points on 4 of 5 shooting, 5 rebounds, 2 assists. Some college guards listed at 5-foot-9 are really 5-7. Olsen looks every inch of her height, and plays taller. Her long-armed defense of smaller driving Florida Gulf Coast guards was part of that early margin, too.

Siegrist, interviewed on TV post-game, got surrounded by fans chanting MVP. Interview over, Siegrist tried leaving by going to her right … nope, better go left. She’s used to maneuvering through heavy traffic, had just done it for 40 minutes.

“If this is my last game at home,” Siegrist said after the place calmed down and cleared out, “this is a great way to go out.”