Bruins and Wildcats in a Battle

Although the score may not show it, the UCLA Bruins and Villanova Wildcats are in a true college basketball fight as the Cats lead 44 to 31 at the half.  Villanova looks very strong physically and has been moving the ball well around the perimeter as well as driving the baseline effectively.  UCLA has been on the receiving end of the physical play of Nova; Darren Collison cut his lip early, Josh Shipp was fouled hard by Scottie Reynolds, and freshman Jrue Holliday took a shot to the eye.  Even the UCLA cheerleaders have had a rough day, as one of the girls hit the locker room early with a bloody nose.  UCLA hasn't gotten into their normal offensive rhythm all day thanks to tough Villanova defense, but a few changes on the white board during halftime can certainly fix this.  The Bruins are playing tough, and the bench is very much in this game, despite an extremely loud Villanova crowd here in the Wachovia Center.  Look for the Bruins to make some changes offensively in the second half, and don't be surprised if this game is much closer with the buzzer sounds at the end.