Call
it one spiced-up rubber match, if you will. After splitting the
two-game season series, UCLA and Arizona will clash for a third and final time Wednesday at the Galen Center, one of four first-round
match-ups in the 2012 Pacific Life Pac-12 Tournament.
Of
course, it's hardly just bragging rights that are at stake. A loss for
either team and the season comes to a close - no consolation rounds, no
WNIT invitation, no March Madness. A win would obviously extend the
venture into the conference tournament and keep the postseason chances
alive, as faint as those might be. With that being said, the following
are some thoughts on what to expect come tip-off tomorrow.
A Guard-Heavy Wildcat Offense
Arizona
might be dead-last in the conference standings at 3-15, but the
Wildcats certainly don't make for an idle scoreboard, owning the
fourth-highest scoring offense in the Pac-12. That isn't too surprising
considering the three mainstays of the Arizona backcourt. In fact, the
trio of Davellyn Whyte (17 points per game), Candice Warthen (11.6), and
Shanita Arnold (10) account for more than half of the 67.1 total points
Arizona averages per game. As they did in the two regular-season games
against UCLA, the Wildcats will likely look to push the tempo of the
game, which wouldn't actually be a bad thing for the Bruins as long as
they can control the defensive boards.
The Inverse to Arizona's Backcourt: Defensive Rotations
The
question then remains: how to rein in the Wildcat's dynamic guard play?
Look for the Bruins to counter by going to their zone defense. There's
no doubt that this season has been an exhaustive one for the short-handed blue
and gold. But in order for the Bruins to advance in the tournament,
they'll have to stay sharp on their feet and get the necessary stops.
"It's
going to be a team effort on defense," UCLA head coach Cori Close said.
"We want to be able to set our defense, slow Arizona down, and prevent
it from being a one-on-one game. We want to make it one-on-Bruins, and
to the extent that we can make it that type of game will be the extent
to which we can play our style."
Inside touches will be harder to come by for the Bruins
The
last time these two teams met, UCLA clearly held the advantage in the
post. Kacy Swain notched career highs with 14 points and seven rebounds,
while Rhema Gardner made it a point to crash the glass, reeling in 12
rebounds. This time, though, the Wildcats will have the services of
6-foot-5 center Aley Rohde (who did not play in the Bruins' 72-58
victory on Feb. 25) to pair with Erica Barnes.
Will
the Bruins hold as thorough of an advantage as they did previously?
Taking into consideration the addition in size for the Wildcats, the
stakes, and a neutral venue, likely not. But as has been clear all
season long, UCLA's success will rest on the ability to get out in
transition. In other words, rebound and run, and an appearance in the
second looks that much more likely for the Bruins.
Frankly, it wasn't the ending UCLA was hoping for, at all. The Bruins came into the final week of the regular season with the hopes of locking up the No. 4 seed in next week's Pacific Life Pac-12 Tournament (with a slight chance of overtaking USC for the No. 3 seed). But in the end, that plan was foiled after the Bruins lost out to Washington State 76-65 on Thursday before faltering against Washington 67-59 earlier today. The wrap-ups of the two games and the tournament implications are below:
Against the Cougars
Never mind that the Bruins looked flat-flooted coming out of the gate; the Cougars got off to a blazing start on Thursday night, instantly building a big lead by dialing and connecting from beyond the arc. Washington State's Sage Romberg and Rosie Tarnowski each went 2-of-2 on three-point baskets in the first half, and the Cougars collectively shot 10-of-21 from distance by game's end. Trailing by as many as 19 points at the 15:27 mark in the second half, the Bruins managed to make a game of it during the waning minutes, but the slow start ultimately proved too costly.
Also of note: Markel Walker, who has been a warrior when it comes to playing with pain this season, looked down and out for the count on several occasions in this game. The worst run-in came with 9:08 left in the first half, when the Cougars' Rosetta Adzasu shouldered into Walker going after a loose ball, and the Bruin forward had to come out of the game nursing her shoulder. But Walker eventually returned to action, her uncanny propensity to tolerate pain showing through once again.
Against the Huskies
The last time these two teams met, UCLA pulled off a stunning, come-from-behind win against Washington that had the Bruin home crowd in an absolute tizzy. Well, it wasn't quite as dramatic, but the Huskies returned the favor from their turf this afternoon, the 67-59 loss marking an anticlimactic end to the Bruins' regular season. While they never held a lead in this one, the Bruins were well within striking distance for much of the contest, thanks in part to their ability to pick apart Washington's zone defense with quick passes into the paint for easy baskets (15 of UCLA's 21 made field goals came off of assists). But with just under three minutes left in the game, the Huskies went on a 10-3 spurt to expand their lead, and the Bruins just couldn't respond, settling for hurried jumpers instead of looking for the open player.
"Washington did a good job of keeping us outside of the lanes and forcing us to take jumpers," Close said. "We needed to get easier looks by either getting post touches inside or getting the ball to the basket off of dribble penetrations. That was the difference in the second half: We settled for jumpers when they were in their zone defense, and we didn't convert."
The Aftermath
With Colorado having defeated Oregon State 67-57, the Bruins (9-9) are unofficially the No. 5 seed in the conference tournament, thanks to the tiebreaker that is their win earlier in the season against the Beavers (9-9). That means No. 5 UCLA will take on No. 12 Arizona Wednesday at the Galen Center, with tip-off at 2:15 p.m.
"At this point, we just have to get our minds right and get our legs back underneath us," Close said. "We see upsets happen all the time, so whether it's Arizona or whether it's us, it's going to come down to who can dig in and take advantage of their opportunities more."
 Maybe it was the aura of the pre-game circumstances that made all the difference on this special day.Playing
in their last home game of the season, the Bruins made sure to make
this one count, giving the fans much to cheer about with a 72-58 win over
Arizona to complete the sweep of the season series.To
be sure, it was an emotional atmosphere at the John Wooden Center, what
with the Bruins honoring former NC State women's basketball coach Kay Yow by
adorning pink breast cancer awareness accessories and celebrating the
career of Rebekah Gardner, who played in her last Bruin home game. The headlines of today's results are as follows:Winning with the BigsIt
was all but etched in stone that the Wildcats were going to go
guard-heavy to try to win this game. Of the Arizona players who suited
up, Erica Barnes was the only 6-footer who saw more than five minutes of
action on the floor. Granted, the Bruins didn't have too many options
inside, either; Corinne Costa was sidelined with a knee injury, while
Markel Walker played just 22 minutes for disciplinary reasons. But it
was Kacy Swain who filled the void, providing some steady offense with
14 points on an efficient 6-of-12 shooting. And it wasn't just her
signature turnaround fadeaway jumpers; the freshman forward made a
concerted effort to crash the glass, collecting seven rebounds and
scoring on put-backs as well. "My
coaches told me before the game that because we were going to be
missing some of our main players, I was going to have to really step up
today for us to come out with a win," Swain said. "And because it was
Rebekah's last home game, I wasn't going to have her go out with a loss.
I wanted to do everything that I could to get this win." If
performance was indeed the way to pay homage to the sole Bruin senior,
then Rhema Gardner did her sisterly deeds manning the post. Although her
shooting wasn't pretty (0-for-7 from the floor), she raked in 12
rebounds, using her long and athletic frame to sky for the 50-50 balls
and securing said boards against a swarm of Wildcats hoping to reach in
for the held-ball calls. Oh, and it didn't hurt that Walker had her
usual all-around game, albeit in limited minutes: 17 points, 12
rebounds, and two assists. Rugged Officiating, Testy Moments, and a Lively CrowdAfter
a relatively calm and entertaining first half, the game turned
noticeably testy, but this time not amongst the players. The officiating
was quite frankly a bit erratic in the second period, to the annoyance
of the fans in attendance. On plays where contact was drawn, the
whistles at times went silent. Then in other spurts, the game suddenly
became one of ticky-tack calls, a clear source of frustration for the
Bruins who were looking to make a run and pull away in the second half. "The referees started to call the game tight, so we just had to keep our composure," Rebekah Gardner said. At
one point, an official even charged Bruin head coach Cori Close with a
technical foul, the cue for the boo birds to rain down on the striped
ones. "Our
crowd sensed when we needed them today," Close said. "They even had my
back when I got the technical foul, and I thought our team did a great
job of feeding off of that energy. The reality is, the home-court crowd
is a big deal in basketball. That sense of connection can be a powerful
thing, and I thought the energy from our fans was the best today." 'Bek's Last OutingBefore
the game, Rebekah Gardner was given a much-deserved tribute with her
last home game upon her, complete with a video-board message from
teammates and the coaching staff, a bouquet of flowers, and a standing
ovation from the Bruin faithful. During the game, Gardner simply shined,
whether it was draining jump shots (3-for-3 from beyond the arc) or
attacking the basket. She finished the day with a game-high 21 points on
9-of-14 shooting, six rebounds, and five assists. After the game, Gardner reflected back on her four years at UCLA, noting how much has changed from her freshman season to now. "I've
definitely come a long way," she said. "When I first came here as a
freshman, everything was so big and I didn't know anything. It's crazy
how things have changed. This year, Coach Close has given me so many
opportunities, and I'm just very thankful for that. I've learned so much
over my four years here, from each coaching staff."
It would be an understatement to say there was more to the story than the scoreboard on this Thursday night.
While a final score of 53-38 in favor of UCLA might conjure up thoughts of a pristine, dominant performance by the Bruins against Arizona State, it was hardly easy. Truth be told, the product on the floor was often groggy and grimy, with UCLA down 20-8 midway through the first half. But to their credit, the Bruins mustered just enough down the stretch, taking advantage of the Sun Devils' lackluster shooting to seal the victory. The post-game takeaways are below:
'Bows and Whistles
The tension was unmistakable. For stretches in the game, it essentially became a matter of which team would be first to cede to the physicality. Rebekah Gardner was often at the center of the near-altercations, the elbows and tugs explicit enough to draw the ire of the officials. And if it wasn't the senior guard, younger sister Rhema Gardner had to deal with a fair load of the tussling, what with ASU constantly looking to score their points from the paint.
"I never want us to lose our focus out there, but I loved how Rebekah and Rhema played feisty," UCLA head coach Cori Close said. "I loved that they said, 'Hey, I have your back' and played with that spirit. They weren't going to let anyone cross us."
Considering the Sun Devils' preference to dump the ball into the post and Rebekah Gardner's tendency to attack the basket, the chippy play was to be expected. After all, much of the extracurricular activity stemmed from both teams going after putbacks and defensive rebounds.
"Arizona State is probably the most physical team in our conference, and they're known for that," Close said. "Credit ASU; they made Rebekah work so hard for every catch, but the key was that Rebekah was able to get Arizona State's Alex Earl in early foul trouble."
Sun Devils Cold in the Clutch
As mentioned above, Close noted that the key moment was when Earl, arguably the Sun Devils' most reliant shooter, picked up her fourth foul with 12:07 left in the game and took a seat on the bench. That, in turn, enabled the Bruins to heighten the defensive pressure against Arizona State's bigs, and the Sun Devil guards just couldn't buy a basket. The result? Forced entry passes into the post, with the Bruins taking advantage. In the last 15 minutes of the game, ASU's inability to score allowed UCLA to go on a 24-7 run and essentially ice the game. By game's end, the Sun Devils shot just 2-for-14 from beyond the arc.
"We noticed that they weren't looking to take the outside shots, so we really just emphasized packing our defense into the paint," Rhema Gardner said.
Playing without Costa
Given Arizona State's post-centered game plan, the size and length of Corinne Costa figured to play a major factor coming into this one. But the sophomore center wound up playing just three minutes after going down with a leg sprain early in the first half. Close later acknowledged that she was given the clearance to play Costa in the second period, but decided not to take any chances. Had Costa been at full strength, ASU's post players likely wouldn't have been such an influence, especially in the first half.
But be that as it may, UCLA again got solid minutes from Rhema Gardner, who scored eight points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field to go along with nine rebounds and a pair of steals.
 The results really weren't in
question for this one.
Coming on the heels of two losses in
the Bay Area and in need of a win to keep themselves in contention for the top
seeds in the Pac-12 standings, the Bruins were outplayed from the start Sunday
afternoon, resulting in a 66-54 loss against the Women of Troy.
Once the third-place team in the
conference, UCLA now falls to 7-7 and remains fifth in the Pac-12, a full
game behind fourth-place USC (8-6). The takeaways from today's outing are
below:
A Case of Deja Vu
The plan for the Bruins coming into
today was to learn from their last matchup against USC (a grind-it-out one at
that) and speed up the tempo of the game. But right from the opening tip, the
pace was slow and slurred. After registering the first basket of the game on a
layup by Rebekah Gardner at the 19:39 mark, the Bruins didn't score again until
the 15:54 mark on a three-pointer from Markel Walker. What made it worse for
UCLA was that the Trojans' offense looked crisper than in the previous
cross-town contest. Midway through the first half, USC broke the game open with
an 18-9 run, paving the way for the decisive win.
What surely must have frustrated the
UCLA coaching staff was that despite the Trojan momentum, the Bruins have shown
throughout the season that they were capable of a better showing, especially
during a first half dotted with letdowns and lapses.
"It wasn't so much what USC did
as it was what we didn't do," Gardner said after the game. "We have
to be composed during pressure situations and take care of the ball. USC is a
good defensive team, but it was on us to play better out there today."
The Difference from Down Low
As it turned out, the guard play
took a backseat to what transpired in the post. For the most part, the Bruins
and Trojans kept each other's guards in check. On the other hand, while UCLA
corralled just eight points from their post players, USC's Cassie Harberts went
to work in the paint and set the tone early for the home team, ending the day
with a game-high 26 points and nine rebounds.
As for the rebounding, it was
advantage Trojans. UCLA head coach Cori Close had made it clear prior to this
game that defensive rebounding was what would enable the Bruins to play to
their strength: getting out in transition and scoring quick baskets. For a
second time, though, that just didn't happen. Overall, UCLA was out-rebounded
48-37, with a 33-24 margin in defensive boards.
"It's a credit to USC; they
played with great focus, and their hustle for loose balls and rebounds gave
them second and third opportunities, especially in that first half," Close
said.
News & Notes
Gardner had to come out of the game
with 18:49 remaining in the second half after being on the receiving end of an
inadvertent elbow from Brianna Gilbreath. Gardner later returned to the floor,
but not after getting four stitches on her lip.
Fans might have also noticed
Madeline Brooks getting the surprise start today, which Close explained was
purely because of the freshman walk-on's efforts during practice.
As for next week, the Bruins play
their last two home games of the regular season, hosting Arizona State on
Thursday and Arizona on Saturday.
 Never mind the school spirit that says it's time to return the favor against the Women of Troy.
It seemed like it was just yesterday when the UCLA women's basketball team debuted its throwback jerseys in an exhibition tiff against Vanguard. But alas, the season is slowly winding down to an end, and if the Bruins want to put themselves in the best possible position for the Pac-12 tournament, they'll have to take out USC tomorrow at noon at the Galen Center.
Of course, the last time these two teams met, USC came away victorious after 40 minutes of a rugged, drawn-out game. So it stands to reason something will have to change for the Bruins tomorrow. For starters, look for UCLA to speed the game up, as opposed to the low-scoring 47-43 affair back on Jan. 14.
"The reality is, we spent way too much time in our last game playing defense and giving USC those second opportunities," UCLA head coach Cori Close said. "It'll be so key on so many levels for us to control the defensive boards, not only because we don't want to give them those second-chance looks, but also because we need that so that we can play uptempo and play our best offensive game."
Not just that, but the Bruins will also need their scorers to live up to their roles. After his team secured the win at the John Wooden Center, USC coach Michael Cooper made no secret of the fact that his strategy was to shut down the trio of Rebekah Gardner, Markel Walker, and Thea Lemberger. While Gardner still managed to put up 20 points, Walker and Lemberger combined for just nine points on quiet shooting nights. Quicken the pace of the game, and the Bruins up their chances.
As for defense, the key will be to limit USC's Ashley Corral. In the previous matchup, the senior guard didn't have much to show for in the scoring department (10 points on 3-of-12 shooting from the field), but she found other ways to help her team, chipping in with eight rebounds and, more importantly, eight assists with just one turnover.
"It won't be a matter of which individual person is going to be matched up with Ashley Corral, it'll be about our team philosophy to keep her in check," Close said. "We need to keep her in front of us and not have her get into the teeth of our defense, because not only is she really good at drawing fouls and creating pull-up jumpers for herself, but also at finding teammates for easy looks."
Also on the Bruins' radar? USC's Ariya Cook, who went off for 21 points off the bench to help defeat Cal in the Trojans' last game. Incidentally, the freshman guard scored 11 of those points in the last two minutes of overtime, emerging as yet another offensive weapon for USC.
"Obviously, Cook was the difference-maker at Cal and has been coming on strong lately, so that adds a different dimension because she's a different kind of player from Corral," Close said. "One of our keys will be to basically shut down that position, and that's going to take tremendous focus on our part because they are so different."
How this Pac-12 season ends is anyone's guess, what with UCLA and USC tied for fourth at 7-6 in the conference, and Arizona State and Oregon State tied for third at 8-6. But with a win tomorrow in Trojan territory, the Bruins will certainly place themselves in good position in what will likely continue to be a crowded race to the finish.
The puns on press row wouldn't stop as the UCLA stats
team served notice that twin sophomore forwards David and Travis Wear were both
going to finish with double figures in points and rebounds in a 64-54 Pac-12
victory over crosstown rival USC on Wednesday night at the Los Angeles Sports
Arena.
Bruins fans can pick their own fun name - whether it's a "twin
double-double" or "double-double, double-double" but it was clear both Wear
brothers wanted to atone after not playing their best in a loss to Cal last
week.
David tallied his second career double-double (16 points,
13 rebounds) after having just one rebound against the Bears. Travis notched
his first career double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
"I was hard on myself with how I played," David said. "I
used it as motivation coming into Monday and Tuesday practices. I knew the only
way I could turn it around is to play harder and come with a different mindset."
UCLA (15-11, 8-6) enjoyed another strong performance from
senior guard Jerime Anderson, who finished with 14 points, five assists and
five rebounds.
"He played good defense tonight," Coach Ben Howland said.
"He did a good job leading tonight. He was positive, talking, talking to
teammates in the timeouts. He was exceptional, and I was happy to see him go
out with a sweep over our crosstown rival."
UCLA never trailed against the Trojans (6-21, 1-13), who
are in last place in the conference, and led by as many as 23 in the second
half. But Howland gave a lot of credit to the USC players and coaching staff
for making the game competitive down the stretch. But UCLA made sure to give
its home crowd, which featured a large presence from the student body,
something to celebrate.
"It means a lot to get the sweep - that's what means the
most to me," Anderson said. "I can't ask for anything more."
 By all means, this was a precarious week for the Bruins.
Heading into Thursday's contest against Cal, UCLA had sole possession of third place in the Pac-12 standings with a 7-4 conference record, one game behind the Golden Bears but also just one game in front of a trio of teams - Arizona State, Oregon State, and USC - tied for fourth.
Well, after today's results, the West just got that much wilder. After losing 67-58 to Cal on Thursday night at Haas Pavilion, the Bruins actually kept up with Stanford for the first half on Sunday before the Cardinal used a strong second-half performance to clinch an 82-59 win at Maples Pavilion. The commentaries from both games are below:
Against the Bears
This marked the Bruins' first rematch week against their confrerence opponents, and in a way, Thursday mirrored the previous UCLA-Cal matchup in terms of the margin of the score. The difference, though, in a game that had five ties and six lead changes? Reshanda Gray, who paced the Bears with 17 points and 14 rebounds. The freshman forward and Los Angeles native was just too much for the Bruins in the second half, scoring 13 points and grabbing 7 rebounds in the final period.
It also didn't help that Corinne Costa was in foul trouble for much of this game. Costa, who dominated the previous game against Cal with a school-record seven blocks, played just 17 minutes, and it was clear the Bruins missed her size and length in the interior (see: Reshandra Gray).
Against the Cardinal
With a Thursday loss already spoiling the road trip, could the Bruins possibly pull off a shocker, going up against a Cardinal team with an unblemished 12-0 conference record? UCLA certainly stuck it to Stanford in the first half - the Bruins grabbed the 26-23 lead with 5:21 left in the period on two made free throws by Thea Lemberger - and even had their moments in the second period. But in the end, the Cardinal unleashed the wrath of the Ogwumikes. Nnemkadi Ogwumike scored 14 of her game-high 25 points in the second half, while younger sister Chiney Ogwumike registered 15 of her 19 in the final frame, often overwhelming an undersized Bruin frontcourt.
Rebekah Gardner came on late for UCLA after being held to just four points in the first period, but it was a matter of too little too late, as the Cardinal outscored the Bruins 49-27 in the second half to run away with the win.
"In the second half, we lost some of our focus, and Stanford was getting back-door cuts against us," said Gardner, who reached the 1,000 career-points scoring mark with 15 for the game. "In the second half, we weren't able to get out in transition as much as we were in the first half."
If there was a silver lining to be gleaned for the Bruins from today's game, it was the play of Rhema Gardner, who has steadily emerged as a defensive stalwart. Although she eventually fouled out of the game, the sophomore forward held her own in the post, not backing down against the Ogwumike sisters and hinting at an enforcer-type mentality.
"Rhema's intensity has increased throughout the season," UCLA head coach Cori Close said. "She's been going much more aggressively for rebounds, she understands the game plans, and she's been doing this against really good players. The biggest thing for us is, 'How do we link all the pieces together? How can we use what we know about Rhema now that maybe we didn't know about her in November and make her a better player?' We've had a lot of individual steps of improvement. Now, we have to piece it all together and make those steps of improvement as a group."
It was just one basket in California's 73-63 Pac-12
Conference victory over UCLA on Saturday afternoon at the Los Angeles Sports
Arena but a quick up-and-down pair of possessions but it served as a microcosm
for UCLA's tumultuous season.
Trailing big, trying to make something happen, UCLA guard
Tyler Lamb pressed and missed a
layup. As quick as his miss, California pushed the other way, only this time Allen Crabbe made his layup.
It was just one missed layup - the Bruins actually missed
12 total for the game - but it was a clear example of the Bruins coming up
short in crucial moments.
"Disappointing,
obviously," UCLA senior Jerime Anderson
said. "We saw where we could have been and where we're at now."
UCLA (14-11, 7-6) is now at the point of no return in its
season. Win the Pac-12 Conference tournament or don't reach the NCAA Tournament
for the third time in Coach Ben Howland's
nine years in Westwood.
The Bruins finished with a season-low seven assists,
finishing with none in the first half. Bruins players pointed to those missed
layups less than anything specific Cal did on defense.
"It was just a tough night," said David Wear, who finished with 10 points on 4 of 13 shooting and
just one rebound. "Missed a lot of chippy shots around the hoop we normally
make and we should make."
Wear took fault with his play afterward, calling it, "unacceptable
to only have one rebound."
Cal (20-6, 10-3) used the pick-and-roll on offense and
secured a 36-31 rebounding advantage to build a lead that grew to as large as
17 in the second half. Sophomore guard Justin
Cobbs, who played high school basketball in Torrance, had a game-high 18
points and five assists.
Cobbs, Crabbe and senior Jorge Gutierrez all scored in double figures. Crabbe had 14 points,
including a pair of 3-pointers. Gutierrez finished with 13 points, five
rebounds and four assists.
Lazeric
Jones and Anderson led the Bruins with 16 points each. Josh
Smith had 10 points and nine rebounds in a season-high 29 minutes.
Anderson spearheaded UCLA's best run of the second half,
scoring nine of his points during a critical 12-2 run that cut the Bears lead
to seven points. But the Bruins couldn't get closer.
"We had some turnovers at the end, they capitalized on
them," Jones said. "That was pretty much it."
Senior guards Jerime
Anderson and Lazeric Jones
denied any bad blood with Stanford, which means the Bruins 72-61 Pac-12 victory
on Thursday night over the visiting Cardinal at the Los Angeles Sports Arena showed the level of toughness the Bruins will need to finish the rest of the season on
an upswing.
UCLA (14-10, 7-5) took over sole possession of sixth
place in the conference while Stanford (16-8, 6-6) lost for the fifth time in
its past six games. And the Bruins accomplished their 10th
consecutive home victory by showing some real grit and determination.
"Lot of poise tonight," said Anderson, who finished with
12 points, six assists and three turnovers. "We grew from this game. They hit
us with a lot of punches and we hit them back. Teams are not going to fold -
ever. We need to take those hits and keep rolling and keep playing."
Anderson and Jones continued to thrive together as the
pair helped UCLA pick up a season-high 15 steals. Jones finished with a
game-high 21 points and six steals.
"We were upset we got that loss up there (at Stanford),"
Jones said. "These two games (Stanford and Saturday's game against first-place
California), we feel like they're in reach for us."
Coach Ben Howland
called UCLA a "much improved team from when we played (Stanford) in late
December," and said he was "proud of our poise.
"We held on and fought."
The Bruins had to overcome foul trouble for sophomore
center Josh Smith, who finished with
seven points and seven rebounds in 24 minutes. Howland touted the defensive play
of Anthony Stover, who had four
rebounds and three blocks in 15 minutes. Travis
Wear, who missed the win at Washington State with a sprained ankle, came
off the bench and added 13 points, five rebounds and three blocks. UCLA
finished with 11 blocks.
"Yesterday was my first full day of practice so I didn't
really transition (back into playing mode) at all," Wear said. "It's swollen
but the pain is not that bad. It's definitely affecting my lift. There's just
so much tape, it's like a cast on my leg and limiting my mobility a little bit."
Chasson
Randle scored 16 points to lead Stanford but he also led his team
with five of its 22 turnovers.
One of Stanford's turnovers set off what might be UCLA's
play of the season. Anderson tipped the ball away from Stanford and Jones raced
toward the sideline to grab the loose ball. Beating a Stanford player and
avoiding going out of bounds, he threw a brilliant behind-the-back pass ahead
to Anderson, who finished it off with a pleasing dunk to the roar of the
excited UCLA crowd.
"That whole play happened because of Jerime," Jones said.
"He tapped the ball loose and he was working so hard so you've got to reward
him for it. I don't think I've ever made that pass before."
UCLA fans hope it's
not his last of the season either.
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