 There are college basketball junkies, and then there's
Jeff Eisenberg. The Yahoo! Sports blogger covers all of college basketball for The Dagger. The
former Riverside Press-Enterprise reporter
and UCLA (class of 2005) alum took some time out of his busy schedule to talk
about UCLA, the Pac-12 and what he thinks about the Bruins' season.
UCLA:
So
let's start with the obvious - What are your general thoughts on UCLA this
season?
Jeff:
Well, I think now that it's February, we have a pretty clear picture of what
UCLA is: A middle-of-the-pack team in one of the worst seasons for the Pac-12
in recent memory. I think the expectation that UCLA could contend for the
league title entering the season was based on Reeves Nelson having an
all-conference season like last year and Joshua Smith continuing to make
progress. Since Nelson is no longer on the roster and Smith has been erratic,
the pressure has fallen on a backcourt that lost Tyler Honeycutt and Malcolm
Lee a year earlier than expected. The result is a decent team but not one that
can compete at the level where UCLA is accustomed.
UCLA:
With two seniors, Lazeric Jones and Jerime Anderson, why isn't the backcourt
more effective? Is there just too much pressure on them to perform, especially
since Tyler Lamb and Travis and David Wear are all sophomores that didn't play
much (or at all in the case of the Wear twins) last season?
Jeff:
I
actually think those guys have done a nice job this season given their talent
limitations. Lazeric has been pressed into the role of go-to backcourt scorer,
and he's performed well for the most part, averaging 13.3 points per game and
raising his field goal percentage and 3-point percentage from last season. And
while Jerime Anderson will never be what many hoped when he was a top recruit
out of high school, he's turned into a dependable role player. The problem is
UCLA has missed on some recruits in recent years, so the backcourt lacks the
talent that Ben Howland has had during his best seasons.
UCLA:
UCLA
has suffered some real tough losses on the road. Stanford, Oregon and last
week's meltdown in Seattle against Washington were all brutal losses. Should
Bruin fans have hope they can figure this out and make a run in the Pac-12
Conference tournament -- or do you see these losses as more of an indictment on
the team?
Jeff: The
Pac-12 as a whole is so watered-down this season that I do think a run in the
conference tournament is hardly out of the question. UCLA out-played Washington
and Oregon for most of their games on the road before collapsing late, which,
while disappointing, also shows that the Bruins are capable of beating anyone
in the league. The key for UCLA will be to rally in the final seven games of
Pac-12 play in order to finish in the top four in the league and secure a bye
in the opening round of the conference tournament. It will make it a heck of a
lot less daunting for UCLA if it only has to win three games in three days
rather than four in four.
UCLA:
Totally
agree - the Pac-12 is interesting this year because it really lacks a dominant
team, which should make the conference tournament an exciting one for fans of
every team. You watch a lot of college basketball so I feel like you would have
as good a feel for this as anybody outside the selection committee - how many
Pac-12 teams do you expect to make the NCAA Tournament?
Jeff:
I've predicted two would make it since the end of non-league play, and I'll
stick to that here. The conference collectively has a 7-40 record in non-league
games against teams in the top 100 of the RPI, which is just staggeringly bad,
to be honest. Nonetheless, both Washington and Cal look like NCAA
tournament-caliber teams to me in spite of their lack of non-league
achievements. I expect Washington to win at least 14 conference games and Cal
to win at least 13, which is probably just enough for both to eke out an NCAA
bid regardless of what they do in the Pac-12 tournament.
UCLA:
Wow.
I've suggested that if UCLA wins seven of its last eight games and gets to
20-11, it could get an at-large bid. Is that an unrealistic expectation?
Jeff:
Maybe
UCLA has the slimmest of hopes if it wins seven of eight and then loses in the
Pac-12 title game, but realistically, I just don't see it happening. The Bruins
lost to every decent team they faced in non-league play, and the Pac-12 isn't
strong enough this season to give them opportunities to make up for it. They
have an RPI of 112 right now, which is nowhere near good enough. Ben Howland
himself conceded last month that the Bruins' only path to the NCAA tournament
is by winning the Pac-12 tournament. While gathering momentum in February and
getting a higher seed is certainly important, I think he's right that UCLA's
season will come down to three days in March.
UCLA: Do
you see any specific thing the Bruins need - say more big games from Josh Smith
- to make this sort of run a reality?
Jeff:
The
biggest thing UCLA needs is consistent play from Josh Smith. If he can stay out
of foul trouble and score in the low post the way he did this past weekend
against the Washington schools, that gives UCLA the best low-post threat in the
league, it forces opposing teams to send double teams, and it frees up shooters
for open looks. Besides that, I'd also like to see UCLA not be so reticent to
go to a zone defense. Granted, Ben Howland wants this to be a man-to-man program
in the long run, but the personnel on this team is better suited to zone. We
saw further evidence of that Saturday when UCLA turned around the game at
Washington State by playing zone for the final 15 minutes.
UCLA:
And
how do you feel about the Wear twins' progress this season?
Jeff:
While
I don't think the Wear twins will ever become stars in the Pac-12, they've
actually progressed better than I expected this season. They both consistently
play hard, they seem to be good teammates, and they can score in multiple
different ways. Defensively, I think both have a ways to go, which is one of
the reasons I think a zone is a better fit for this UCLA team than man-to-man.
I also wonder if the fact that they both have such similar games is a
disadvantage for UCLA since they're so duplicitous when on the floor together.
UCLA:
So
covering college basketball on a national level means you not only have to give
that sort of analysis on the Bruins but about 300 other teams! How do you keep
on top of not just one team or even one conference but the entire country?
Jeff:
It's a challenge, but it's a lot of fun. I look for stories by talking to
players and coaches across the country, by watching as many games as I can, and
by reading stories written by the beat writers who follow the teams they cover
closer than I can. What's great about my job is that with 300-plus Division I
teams, there's always something fun to write about. That isn't always the case
when you're a beat writer limited to covering one team of 12 players
year-round.
UCLA:
Well, it sounds like a lot of fun - especially if you like reporting and
watching basketball! Any final thoughts on this college basketball season so
far and what you expect from March Madness this year?
Jeff: I
expect another wide-open NCAA tournament with plenty of surprises, which is
hardly going out on a limb after seeing George Mason, Butler and VCU all make
Final Four runs in the past six years. My pre-bracket Final Four is Kentucky,
Ohio State, North Carolina and Florida. I'm sure that will look silly a month
from now (or maybe a week from now), but I'll own it either way.
UCLA:
Sounds
like it's going to be a lot of fun for college basketball fans - as usual.
Thanks so much for your time!
Read Jeff's work at The Dagger and
let us know what you think about his opinion of UCLA and the Pac-12 in the
comments below.
Head football coach Jim Mora and three of his assistants will be speaking at the Clinic of Champions on Friday and Saturday (Feb. 10-11) at the Irvine Marriott Hotel. Mora will be the keynote speaker for the clinic. Coaches Angus McClure, Marques Tuiasosopo and Marcus Patton will also be in attendance. For more information, click here.
As the gang proved today, wins don't necessarily have to come at the expense of bitten nails and sweaty palms.
After emerging victors of their past three games via the down-to-the-wire route, the Bruins continued on their roll, this time blowing past Washington State 73-52 at the John Wooden Center. Markel Walker decorated the court in this one, recording the first Bruin triple double in eight years with 14 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists. Then there was Rebekah Gardner, who led all scorers with 21 points on an efficient 8-of-14 shooting. The usual post-game ramblings and musings are below:
A 'W' Clinched in the Second Half
After the game, UCLA head coach Cori Close noted a particularly-telling facet of the game that would make any coach beam with pride.
"More than anything else, I'm proud of our mental growth," Close said. "This was the first game where we finally put the pedal to the metal and kept going in the second half instead of becoming complacent and having lapses in focus. We played for each other and with each other at a higher level today than I've seen up to this point."
The Bruins clearly distanced themselves in that second period, outscoring the Cougars 44-24 in the 20-minute stretch. Credit the results to quicker rotations on defense and more ball movement on offense. The Bruins stymied their opponents to just 21.6% shooting in the second half, all the while repeatedly finding the easy baskets inside (26 of their 38 points from the paint came from the second period).
"The biggest thing was our movement away from the basketball on defense," Close said. "We were late on our closeouts in the first half, but I thought we were much quicker and communicated more in the second half. On offense, we were allowing Washington State's zone defense to push us so far away from the basket, but we adjusted and made a concerted effort to move the ball off the pass and move without the ball."
An All-Around Effort
Sure, the box score shows that every Bruin scored a basket. But even without the stats sheet, the team just looked fluid and invested, particularly again in the second half. The ladies scrapped and heaved for the boards (a 50-28 rebounding margin in favor of the Bruins), made the precision cuts into the lane (22 assists), and often found the open shooters (51.8% shooting for the game).
"Everybody was open," Walker succinctly said. "It took us a while to notice and understand that we were open, but once we knew it and recognized it, we started moving without even running a play and things started getting easier."
Walker, of course, was an epitome of it all. The junior forward played especially well with Rebekah Gardner, constantly finding the cutting senior guard for the easy layups. The last piece to her triple-double, however, was something of a poetic, full-circle play. Dribbling the ball at the top of the key and drawing all kinds of attention from the Cougars' defense, she swung the ball to a wide-open Madeline Brooks, who promptly swished the basket to give Walker her 10th assist.
Rhema Gardner and Corinne Costa have been playing well as of late
It almost feels guilty to mention this now, but Costa and the younger Gardner continue to develop as key contributors to the team, and today was simply a culmination. In addition to playing gritty defense, Gardner (8 points and 7 rebounds) displayed her offensive skills as well, even creating her own shot by taking the ball to the basket from the post for the nifty reverse layup at the 14:20 mark of the second half.
"Rhema had the best game of her career today," Close said. "She caught some really tough passes, and not only did she catch them, she converted the baskets with great concentration. And on the other side of the floor, it was her deflections; it was the tips by Rhema that led to Markel getting the loose balls and the assists on the fastbreak. She was really engaged and was a huge sparkplug for us off the bench."
As for Costa, the sophomore center also proved her worth from both ends of the floor. Having shown a knack for knocking down the baseline mid-range jumpers, Costa scored with her back to the basket as well, tossing in the hooks with a noticeably softer touch than earlier this season. She ended the day with eight points (4-of-5 shooting), eight rebounds, two blocks, and two steals.
"The difference between this game and previous games for Corinne was that she got deeper touches today," Close said. "She's been getting so much deeper on her touches that she's able to score with those hook shots. I'm really proud of how much she's grown; I remember when I first got this job, she didn't believe she could play at this level, so it's been amazing to watch her discover that she really is a talented young woman."
Even from television (where I watched), you could see the
frustration on the faces of UCLA players. It was most apparent in the
exasperated look of Joshua Smith.
I'm sure the sophomore who attended nearby Kentwood High
wanted to win in front of family and friends - and he sure tried to make it
happen with a career high 24 points to go with nine rebounds. Instead, he
couldn't wrap his hands around the ball to attempt one last shot to try and
force overtime after Norman Powell missed a baseline
jump shot in the closing seconds .
It was a devastating loss. The Bruins took a double-digit
lead before crumbling down the stretch. Travis Wear sprained his ankle and the
starting forward isn't expected to play today at Washington State. Peter Yoon
at ESPN.com specifically said the
Bruins won't win the Pac-12 regular season championship after the loss.
It's a tough pill to swallow for Coach Ben Howland, his
team and the fan base. One of the most challenging but rewarding things about
UCLA is the expectation levels are sky-high. Not winning the conference is a
letdown.
That doesn't mean this season can't be recovered, but it's
definitely on red alert. The Bruins (12-10, 5-5) have nine games left and likely
need to finish no worse than 8-2 to still have a shot at an at-large NCAA
Tournament bid. That won't be easy with trips to Arizona, Arizona State and St.
John's still on the schedule. The Bruins will also need to win at home against
rival USC and NorCal rivals Cal and Stanford.
At the very least, UCLA should feel confident today in its
trip to Beasley Coliseum in Pullman, Wash. The Bruins have won 18 consecutive
games in the building, dating back to Feb. 6, 1993. I was still in high school -
UCLA freshman Norman Powell wasn't born yet - and Ben Howland was still an
assistant coach.
If UCLA wants to recover its season, it's got a long road
in front of it, and it starts today.
Saturday's game at Washington State (2:00 p.m.) is not being produced locally. Neither FS West or Prime Ticket had the 2:00 p.m. window chosen by Washington State available (one station was obligated to carry a national women's basketball telecast and the other has L.A. Clipper coverage beginning at 3:30 p.m., making it impossible to carry a game starting at 2:00 p.m.). That decision was made in October.
The game will air on ROOT Sports Northwest. That channel is available on the DirecTV Sports Package (Channel 687) and DISH Network (Channel 426).
In addition, the game will air on Fox College Sports Pacific, available on the DirecTV Sports Package and the sports tiers of several cable companies, including Time Warner and Comcast. Check your local listings for the station in your area. FCS Pacific will also replay the game on Sat, 2/4 at 11:00 p.m. PT; Sun, 2/5 at 11:00 a.m. PT; and Mon, 2/6 at 8:00 a.m. PT.
ROSE DRAKE 1915-2012
Rose Wernes Drake, widow of long
time UCLA trainer and track coach Elvin C. "Ducky" Drake, died peacefully in
her home in Santa Monica on January 23, 2012. She was 96. Rose was
born August 14, 1915 on the family farm in Friend, Nebraska. She was the
last of eight children to Homer and Ida Dreher.
She married Ducky, a childhood friend, in 1983,
beginning a wonderful relationship until Ducky's sudden death in December 1988.
Rose was an avid UCLA fan and she
became a "regular" singing and playing piano for UCLA sports events,
song-fests, parties, and memorials. She attended most football and
basketball games into her early 90's.
Rose was loved and adored by all who
knew her. She had no children and is survived by nieces and
nephews. Visitations will take place on February 6th from 5-7 pm and on February 7th
from 11 am - noon at Gates, Kingsley &
Gates, 1925 Arizona, Santa Monica, CA 90404. The Memorial Service is February 7th at 12:30 pm at Gates,
Kingsley & Gates. Interment will take
place at 2 pm at Woodlawn Cemetery, 1847 14th Street, Santa Monica, CA
90404.
In lieu of flowers, please send
donations to the Wooden Athletic Fund, UCLA Athletics, Morgan Center, 325
Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles CA 90095-1639.
 Talk about snatching one from the jaws of defeat. The Bruins (or is it Comeback Kids?) did just that, though perhaps to the most extreme and numbing degree Thursday night.
What took place on the hardwood floor of Collins Court on this occasion was so improbable that when it became reality, the UCLA alumni were literally dancing from the stands, lost in the euphoria of a complete and breath-taking stunner.
"I was telling assistant coach Shannon Perry that I'm seeing way more gray hairs than I've ever seen before," UCLA head coach Cori Close deadpanned after the game.
Down 63-56 to Washington with only 49 seconds left in regulation and looking like goners, the Bruins scrapped and gutted their way back, carving out a 79-73 can-you-believe-it victory in overtime against the Huskies. The takeaways from the wily turn of events are as follows:
Clutch (Again) Down the Stretch
After pulling off two come-from-behind wins on the road last week, the Bruins went for the hat trick with possibly the most impressive one of the three. And yet again, it was the uncanny ability to convert the critical plays with the clock ticking down.
Smack in the middle of it all were Rebekah Gardner and Mariah Williams. With her team down 65-62 at the 18-second mark of regulation, it was Gardner who got the steal off of a turnover by the Huskies' Jazmine Davis and took it all the way for the breakaway layup to make it a one-point game. The senior guard then attacked the basket again, slicing her way into the paint for another bucket with just two seconds left to essentially force overtime.
Enter Williams: Already, the junior guard had banked in a runner at the 2:40 mark of overtime for the 71-68 lead. Then, she went on to hit arguably the biggest shot of the night, nailing her third three-pointer with the shot clock expiring with 1:43 remaining to extend UCLA's lead to 74-68.
"I think that shot is actually the easiest, because everyone in the gym knows that the shot clock is running down," Williams said. "Whether it goes in or not, you just have to get that shot up really fast, though it's always exciting when the shot goes in."
All in all, Williams (11 points on 4-of-4 shooting) and Gardner (17) were just two of five Bruins scoring in double figures.
The full-court press proves deadly yet again
It's no coincidence that in each contest from their now three-game winning streak, the Bruins went to the press defense in the waning minutes to fuel each comeback. Indeed, it was because of the swarming, smothering defense applied by Williams and Markel Walker that Davis turned the ball over with 14 seconds left in regulation.
The Bruins actually showed press in spurts earlier in the game, but with less admirable results. Come crunch time, though, they were on-point.
"It's high risk, high rewards," Close said. "Toward the end of the game, we had to go to the full-court press; we had nothing to lose and there was no choice, so we had to go high risk. I'd like to see us get more into that situation where on dead balls and free throws, we're speeding people up and getting them out of rhythm."
These Bruins are learning and growing
Make no mistake, these wins hold significant weight where the Pac-12 race is concerned; UCLA is now tied for third place in the conference standings with USC at 6-4 (the Bruins are 11-10 overall).
But what Close will undoubtedly agree is going to pay dividends in the long run is the growth that is to be gleaned from the last three victories. Simply put, it's a matter of the Bruins proving to themselves that they have what it takes to win, even under, again, improbable circumstances. In the context of Thursday night, UCLA notched the win, despite being down by seven with less than a minute remaining in the game, and despite Washington's Regina Rogers going off for 21 points and 12 rebounds.
"These players are showing that they have something inside of them," Close said. "When their backs are against the wall, they come out swinging, and that says a lot for who they are. It is the only way we can win; it's that grit coming out that says, 'I will do whatever it takes - as unconventional as it might be - to figure it out and come out swinging.' And as a coach, I couldn't be any more proud of that."
Say what you will about the inconsistencies displayed at times on the floor, or the woeful injuries that have hit the team, but even the casual fan had to revel in the fortitude the Bruins channeled this week, staging a pair of rallies to remember in their two come-from-behind wins on the road against Utah and Colorado.
On both occasions, the Bruins faced seemingly-insurmountable deficits well into the second half, clearly gassed from playing at unfamiliar altitudes. But on both occasions, the ladies played some of their most relentless basketball of the season and eked out their first two-win week, first defeating the Utes 65-60 before downing the Buffaloes 62-54 in overtime. The takeaways from both games are as follows:
Against the Utes
Like an eighth-inning relief pitcher preserving a baseball game for the closer, it was Mariah Wiliams of all players who kept the Bruins in Thursday's game and made the comeback win possible. Williams, who averages 4.8 points per game, exploded onto the scene in Salt Lake City, punishing the Utes with a career-high 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. It wasn't just jumpers, either; on numerous possessions, Williams took her defender off the dribble and promptly matched leather to net.
"It just comes down to having confidence, and I got it from my teammates and the coaching staff," Williams said on Thursday.
If Williams was one half of the story, the Bruins' clutch defense was the other. Down 55-46 with 5:48 left in the game, UCLA went with a full court press during that last five-minute stretch, a gutsy call considering the clear signs of fatigue. To say the least, the press paid dividends; Utah simply ceased to function as an offense, as the Bruins got three key steals in that span and staged a dominating 19-5 run to complete the rally.
"That was one of the things we learned from the game: Despite our low numbers in players, we can switch to the press and really disrupt a team's offense," Williams said. "To be a part of that was really fun."
Against the Buff's
If Thursday night was a challenge, the circumstances in Boulder just screamed for a Bruin loss: Colorado's Chucky Jeffery started to get hot from the field in the second half; Corinne Costa fouled out of the game with 2:07 left in regulation; the officials began to nitpick on the traveling calls down the stretch. And to top it all off, UCLA simply looked in danger of losing the game to bouts with stamina - and that was before overtime.
But again, much like their performance three days ago, the Bruins - heavy breathing and all - clamped down on defense in the critical moments, causing the Buffaloes' offense to vanish into the thin Colorado air.
And this time, it was a blend of both zone and press defense that got the job done for the blue and gold.
"The zone helped especially with guarding Chucky, because she likes to drive or get to the lanes and kick the ball out to the shooters," said Rebekah Gardner, who notched 17 points. "With the zone, she couldn't go one-on-one as much as she usually does."
As for the killer press that finished off the Buff's?
"The full-court press basically picked up the play and took Chucky and their other playmakers out of their game," said Markel Walker, who had a stellar game with 24 points and 10 rebounds.
One factor that may not have been as noticeable was the usage of timeouts. Certainly, with their first overtime game of the season, the Bruins faced a test of will and stamina. As such, it was critical for UCLA that the timeouts were used strategically and at key junctures.
"Coach Cori Close's strategy of when to use the timeouts helped us a lot because it gave us the breaks when we needed them most," Gardner said. "It also helped that it was a TV game, because the media timeouts were longer."
With two impressive wins now in the books, the Bruins return home, a much-deserving sigh of relief in order.
 UCLA's impressive 77-60 Pac-12 Conference victory over
Colorado on Saturday afternoon at the Los Angeles Sports Arena sets the sort of
example that makes parents proud.
The Bruins tallied a season-high 26 assists, which helped
lead to their most dominant performance of the season. Senior guards Lazeric Jones and Jerime Anderson led the way again for UCLA (12-9, 5-4) as Jones
finished with a game-high 17 points and nine assists. Anderson added eight
points and eight assists.
"I thought we were patient," Jones said. "We made good
decisions. Coach has really been focusing in practice on pushing it and making
good decisions. We were aggressive penetrating but also knew when to push it
and when to pull it out (and find open shooters)."
It wasn't just the senior guards who made an impact.
Sophomore Tyler Lamb was lauded by Coach
Ben Howland for having "one of his
best games as a Bruin," after he finished with 13 points, six assists and three
steals. Freshman Norman Powell added
six points, including a 3-pointer to end the first half and give UCLA a 40-36
lead.
Howland touted Lamb's defensive performance against
Colorado's leading scorer Carlon Brown,
who was held to six points on 2-of-7 shooting and three turnovers. Lamb and
Brown have known each other since middle school, even playing on the same AAU
team, and Lamb said Howland challenged him before the game to slow him down.
"Lamb played great defense today on Brown," Howland said.
"Tremendous, awesome job today. He really, really took the challenge on
(against Brown)."
It wasn't just Lamb who
accepted the challenge against Colorado (14-7, 6-3), which has been an
impressive addition to the Pac-12 basketball ranks.
The front court played well
too. Travis Wear finished with 14 points
and seven rebounds while his twin brother, David
Wear, had 11 points and three rebounds. Josh Smith added eight points, including one of the more bizarre
plays of the season. Smith excited the crowd with a forceful two-handed slam
but landed on the basketball and fell to the ground. Smith didn't suffer a
serious injury, but it looked strange and potentially unlucky.
Even sophomore center Anthony Stover, who played just three
minutes, made an impact. He had two blocks, including a crowd-pleasing
rejection that drew a standing ovation. As Stover came out of the game soon
after the block, he turned and nodded to the pleased UCLA crowd before taking a
seat on the bench.
At every angle, it was as
complete a victory as UCLA has delivered this season.
"This was real important for
us," Howland said. Great team effort - we worked so hard in practice this week.
They earned (it)."
Now, UCLA needs to apply
that same formula to earn more conference road victories.
 UCLA guard Jerime Anderson isn't looking at a sense of
urgency as a senior moment. Nobody could blame him if he did - especially after
the Bruins lost at Oregon State and Oregon last week.
Instead, the senior point guard took exception to the
idea that he should be looking at the clock to his college career after UCLA's blowout victory over
visiting Utah, 76-49, on Thursday night at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. The win was Coach Ben Howland's 200th victory at UCLA.
"I guess as a senior I don't have very much time left, but
that's not how I'm looking at it," said Anderson, who had 13 points, three
assists and three steals. "My sense of urgency is I want my team to win games.
We need to get back into the race of trying to win the Pac-12. There's a lot
time left. When my year is over, my year will be over. Until then, I am going
to practice as hard as I can and I am going to play as hard as I can. Whether I'm
a senior or a freshman, it should be the same for every player on the team."
Anderson answered the question with a bit of an edge. He
didn't snarl or yell, but it was apparent he wasn't counting UCLA (11-9, 4-4) out
of anything just yet. And his declaration came shortly after Howland praised his
effort against the Utes (5-15, 2-6).
"Very efficient, solid defense," Howland said. "Jerime
had one of his best games as a Bruin tonight."
Anderson was one of four Bruins to score in double
figures, joined by Josh Smith, who scored a game-high 14 points, David Wear (13
points) and Tyler Lamb (10 points).
And there were plenty of highlights from the blowout win: * The Bruins (11-9, 4-4) shot a blistering 58.7
percent from the field, including a light's out 73.7 percent after halftime.
* UCLA stacked a 14-4 run over final 6:35 of
the first half into a dominating 42-17 run during a stretch that lasted 18:05.
*UCLA outrebounded Utah, 34-23.
* UCLA made 9 of 16 3-pointers and held Utah to
just 5-for-16 after it made its first three 3-pointers of the game.
"It was a real confidence booster for us," Wear said. "We
had two really good days of practice and coming out and doing what we did in
practice with high intensity for 40 minutes and not having any letdowns (was
needed)."
Anderson said the Bruins can't suffer letdowns, such as
the second half against Oregon, again.
"We have to refuse to let it happen the rest of the year,"
Anderson said. "We have a lead like that and should be able to keep it."
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