March 7, 1998

Box Score

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Almost another upset loss for No. 2 Arizona.

Michael Dickerson scored 30 points - two off his career high - and gave the Wildcats just their second lead of the game with 1:06 remaining as they held off No. 19 UCLA 91-87 Saturday.

UCLA (22-8, 12-6 Pac-10) led until the game's final 1:38 in trying to duplicate the stunning 91-90 overtime upset Southern California dealt the Wildcats on Thursday night.

That loss snapped Arizona's 19-game winning streak, and the Wildcats (27-4, 17-1) stumbled out of the gate Saturday against their arch-rivals.

With UCLA ahead 85-84, A.J. Bramlett put back Mike Bibby's miss to give Arizona its first lead of the game at 1:38.

Kris Johnson scored inside for what turned out to be UCLA's final basket and last lead at 87-86. Dickerson scored two straight baskets to put Arizona on top for good, 90-87, with 22 seconds left.

UCLA put the ball into the hands of Pac-10 freshman of the year Baron Davis, but he missed an open 3-pointer from the right sideline with five seconds to play.

Johnson immediately fouled Simon, who made the first one as Arizona likely preserved a No. 1 seed in the West Region for the NCAA tournament with the win.

Simon, coming off a five-point effort in Thursday's loss, added 20 points for the Wildcats, who won at Pauley Pavilion for the first time since January 1993, also the last time they swept a season series from the Bruins.

In the second half, Arizona shot 60 percent and outscored UCLA 50-38 despite not taking the lead until almost the final minute.

Arizona opened the Pac-10 season by beating UCLA 87-75 in Tucson, where four of the Bruins' five starters fouled out.

This time, they were foul-plagued, but still around at the end. Johnson led UCLA with 24 points. Toby Bailey added 22, Davis 16 and J.R. Henderson 15.

The Bruins exploded from the opening tip, scoring 10 unanswered points, including two 3-pointers and a flying slam dunk by Davis, that ignited the Pauley Pavilion crowd.

Former NBA greats Magic Johnson, Jerry West and Marques Johnson, father of Kris Johnson, along with Charles O'Bannon and Cameron Dollar, stars of last season's UCLA team, watched the regular-season finale.

The Wildcats' shot just 34 percent in the first half as Henderson, Bailey and Johnson displayed a variety of inside moves to help the Bruins build a 49-41 halftime lead.

Davis scored consecutive baskets to start the second half as UCLA quickly pushed its lead to 14 points.

Then Arizona rallied with an 18-6 run, including seven by Simon, to come within two with 11:57 remaining. The spurt, along with back-to-back 3-pointers by Dickerson and Simon, temporarily slowed UCLA's momentum.

The Bruins weren't ready to surrender their lead yet.

Johnson scored six of UCLA's next 11 points as Arizona missed shots and the Bruins went up by nine.

Dickerson continued carrying the scoring load for Arizona as Simon quieted down. His 3-pointer again drew the Wildcats within two with 4:54 remaining.

Davis scored inside and Henderson hit two free throws to keep UCLA ahead by six.

But that was the end for the Bruins. Arizona outscored them 14-4 over the final 3:17, although the Wildcats didn't manage to grab the lead until the closing minute.