Wednesday, January 20, 1999
Young team to get healthy dose of rivalry
M.HOOPS: Bruins hope to continue winning streak against Trojans
tonight at Sports Arena
By AJ Cadman
Daily Bruin Staff
The rivalry of Tinseltown makes its way from a battle on the
gridiron to the red, white and blue parquet floor of the Los
Angeles Memorial Sports Arena tonight as the Bruins take a bus ride
down to crosstown rival Southern Cal.
"This is a rivalry game," said UCLA head coach Steve Lavin. "The
younger players will be brought up to speed when we go over there
and realize we are not well liked."
The Trojans (10-5, 2-4 Pac-10) find themselves earning more
respect as a quality basketball program after a dismal 9-19
campaign last season, including a 5-13 conference record.
Recently, USC was swept by the Bay Area schools in blowout
losses to the Stanford Cardinal 72-55 on Thursday, then by
California 89-75 on Saturday, in which five Bears scored in double
figures.
Like the UCLA football team, the Bruin basketball team (12-4,
4-2 Pac-10) have won the past eight meetings in the series,
including an 82-75 overtime victory last season at the Sports Arena
on Feb. 18, 1998. Ranked 12th at the time, the Bruins held as much
as a 13-point lead in the second half. But, under the coaching
direction of former Bruin guard Henry Bibby, the Trojans were able
to mount a comeback to force the extra frame.
"We always seem to be in close games with the Trojans," said
Lavin. "There always seems a buzzer shot late in the game."
The defining point of their season thus far has been yet another
wild and crazy contest that has come to describe the Pac-10
conference. On Jan. 7, the Trojans trailed the Oregon Ducks by 5
points, when with 2.8 seconds to go, senior forward Adam Spanich
hit a clutch three-point basket to bring USC within a two point
margin. The inbounds pass from Oregon forward A.D. Smith was stolen
at half court by Spanich, who proceeded to immediately shoot the
ball with under a second to go.
Nothing but net, and the game will forever be etched in Trojan
lore.
UCLA enters tonight’s contest having won 10 of their past 12
games, including Thursday night’s 72-61 victory over the California
Golden Bears. The Bruins effectively shut down Cal’s floor leader
and top offensive threat, senior point guard Geno Carlisle. The
1998 Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year was held to no points in the first
half by the suffocating defense of Earl Watson and Baron Davis.
"We are beginning to expect facing zone defenses from every
opponent," said Lavin. We must be aggressive and attack instead of
being passive. We need to establish a rhythm and hit the shots that
open up for us."
The Bruins’ physical play against the large Stanford frontline
was unexpected, yet effective. The Trojans have seven players over
6 feet 7 inches tall, compared to the Bruins four. Thus, the type
of play demonstrated against the Cardinal will more than compensate
as the Bruins showed they could play with the biggest of the
Pac-10.
"USC’s lineup is deep, athletic, extremely quick and will throw
different defenses at us," comments Lavin. "Coach Bibby’s
experience in the NBA and (at UCLA) has amounted to a collection of
alignments we could face." The first real test of this theory is
tonight, against the most hated of UCLA opponents: the USC
Trojans.PATRICK LAM
Travis Reed reaches for a steal during a game against the
University of Arizona.
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