Mighty Villanova busts UCLA, reaches Sweet 16 4th time

PHILADELPHIA – Villanova reached the round of 16 of the NCAA college basketball championship for the fourth time in five years on Saturday with an 89-69 victory over UCLA that ended the Bruins’ bid for a fourth straight Final Four appearance.

Dante Cunningham scored 18 points, and Corey Fisher and Reggie Redding each had 13 for third-seeded Villanova in the East Regional.

Josh Shipp scored 18 in the earliest exit for sixth-seeded UCLA since 2005.

Tyreke Evans scored 19 points as Memphis shot a sizzling 70 percent in the first half, awakening from its first-round slumber to beat Maryland, 89-70, in the West Regional.

A.J. Price scored 27 points, Jeff Adrien had 23 and Connecticut dominated Texas A&M from the opening tip for a 92-66 victory with Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun back. After getting treatment for dehydration and missing top-seeded Connecticut’s first-round game, Calhoun came back and never had to worry.

JaJuan Johnson scored 22 points and had two huge blocks in the final minute as fifth-seeded Purdue held off a frantic charge from Washington to advance to its first regional semifinals since 2000 with a 76-74 victory.

In the South Regional, Ty Lawson got back just in time to help top-seeded North Carolina win before a friendly crowd, beating Louisian State U, 84-70. The Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year had missed the past three games after he jammed his right toe in practice. Against LSU, Lawson scored 23 points and made a three-point play that sparked a decisive second-half run.

Bulling through double teams and soaring in for vicious dunks, Blake Griffin finished with 33 points and 14 rebounds to power Oklahoma past Michigan, 73-63. (AP)