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Nova Breezes Into Sweet 16

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The Associated Press

The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 22, 2009

PHILADELPHIA - 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), who will play Duke in the East Region semifinals in Boston.
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."

The Associated Press

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