Advertisement
You are here: Sun HomeCollectionsFree Throws

Duke staves off Texas' rally

east regional

Henderson's late free throws help Blue Devils advance to Sweet 16

Villanova in control in win over UCLA

ncaa tournament

March 22, 2009|By From Sun news services

"Those are plays that you think of Magic Johnson making," Krzyzewski said before turning to Scheyer and adding, "You never thought I'd compare you to Magic Johnson, right?"

Henderson hit two foul shots with 7.2 seconds remaining to seal it.

Villanova 89, UCLA 69:: 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.

Advertisement

No need to sweat this one out, Coach. The Wildcats had it all the way.

Dante Cunningham scored 18 points, helping Villanova reach the round of 16 for the fourth time in five years with a victory in Philadelphia that ended UCLA's 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 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 its 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.

Massimino coached Villanova to an upset victory over Georgetown in the 1985 national championship game. He gave Wright a big hug shortly before tip-off and enthusiastically watched from his second-row seat.

Baltimore Sun Articles
|