Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA ó Rollie Massimino sat on the edge of his seat, rooting on his former team from behind the bench. By the end, he was leaning back in his chair and soaking it in.
No need to sweat this one out, Coach. The Wildcats had it all the way.
Dante Cunningham scored 18 points Saturday, helping Villanova reach the round of 16 for the fourth time in five years with an 89-69 victory over UCLA that ended the Bruins’ bid for a fourth straight Final Four appearance.
“That was a fun game to be a part of,” Villanova coach Jay Wright said. “We have so much respect for the UCLA tradition. They are tough. To get to three straight Final Fours is amazing. You get fired up to play a team like that.”
Corey Fisher and Reggie Redding each had 13 points for the third-seeded Wildcats (28-7).
Josh Shipp led UCLA with 18 points and Darren Collison had 15. It’s the earliest exit for the sixth-seeded Bruins (26-9) since a first-round loss in the 2005 NCAA tournament.
“They did a good job spreading us out and they’re a very good shooting team,” Bruins coach Ben Howland said. “They did a good job of attacking the rim. I think they have a real chance to move forward in this tournament.”
Backed by a raucous, hometown crowd at their off-campus home, Villanova jumped on UCLA early and hardly let up. A 19-2 run that started five minutes in put the Wildcats ahead 28-11 before the midpoint of the first half.
When Corey Stokes hit a 3-pointer to cap an 11-0 spurt, the building erupted. Even some Texas A&M fans stood and cheered. The Aggies played Connecticut in the second game of the doubleheader.
UCLA finally ended the run after a time-out, but Stokes hit another 3 and Redding nailed one, too. Dwayne Anderson’s jam capped the run, giving Villanova a 17-point lead.
“We kind of jumped on them and set the tone early,” Fisher said. “That was huge. ”
The Bruins spent the rest of the half trying unsuccessfully to cut the margin to single digits. Each time it seemed they were inching closer, Villanova answered with a big shot.
Scottie Reynolds hit a 3 for his first basket, ending a mini-run. Then, Fisher threw a perfect pass underneath to Shane Clark for an easy dunk that gave the Wildcats their biggest lead of the half, 38-19.
UCLA scored the next seven points, but Reynolds answered with another three after two offensive rebounds following long misses by the Wildcats. That possession clearly illustrated Villanova’s toughness inside. The ‘Cats then smothered UCLA at the opposite end, forcing a poor shot that missed as the shot clock expired.