Unexpected UCLA finish

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Dick Enberg said it so eloquently. ‘This was like an audience at the symphony saluting a virtuoso performance.’ He was speaking of the appreciative standing ovations the Wachovia Center crowd was giving Villanova players as they were being removed from this blowout 89-69 victory over three-time Final Four team UCLA.

It was applause that must have hurt the ears and the hearts of UCLA. Losing games has happened to UCLA during these past great seasons under Coach Ben Howland, but never like this, never where the Bruins seemed to withdraw from the fight right from the start. As Jay Bilas said, the game seemed decided right at the start when senior point guard Darren Collison drove to the basket and was just pounded by Villanova guard Scottie Reynolds. The oomph went right out of the Bruins. Collison will leave college having had an excellent career but will also have left the image two years in a row of being a guard totally taken advantage of in big NCAA moments.

-- Diane Pucin