KEITH ENRIQUEZ/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Matt
Barnes takes it strong to the hoop in UCLA’s blowout win
over Villanova. UCLA 93 Villanova 65
By AJ Cadman
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
After last Thursday’s emotional victory over crosstown
rival USC, UCLA produced the same results in the same fashion on
Saturday.
Fueled by a full-court press defense that stymied then-No. 19
Southern California, UCLA (9-4) cruised to its fifth straight
victory with a 93-65 decision over the Villanova Wildcats (10-4)
before 9,798 in their first-ever visit to Pauley Pavilion.
With rumors of a coaching change making it a turbulent week for
the UCLA men’s basketball program, the Bruins responded with
two wins that left their latest opponent scratching their
heads.
“They played great and we played awful in every aspect of
the game, which they had something to do with,” said Wildcat
head coach Steve Lappas.
“(UCLA’s) pressure has helped them turn things up a
notch. We never really responded at any point,” he said.
Villanova’s response was more of a cry for help, with the
Bruins forcing the Wildcats into 26 turnovers. But UCLA’s
press wasn’t airtight, and Villanova broke through and
converted easy opportunities without anyone getting back on
half-court defense.
UCLA head coach Steve Lavin knows that the team must combine its
current success with continual refinement to get more of the same
against the Arizona schools when they resume conference play next
week.
“This was one of our better 40-minute efforts of the
season in terms of sustaining and building upon our lead,”
Lavin said after his 100th win as UCLA head coach ““ the
second fastest coach to reach that plateau in school history.
“But they got too many easy baskets in transition and our
rotation in the back of the press was poor,” he
continued.
“I am proud of the way our kids continue to improve with
each practice and each game.”
UCLA jumped on Villanova early, with the Wildcats’
man-to-man defense allowing the Bruins’ starting backcourt of
Jason Flowers and Earl Watson to find scoring opportunities. A
Flowers baseline layup, a running jumper by Watson in the lane and
a Flowers jumper off a steal by Matt Barnes put the Bruins up
6-0.
Villanova was able to break through the Bruin press and get a
couple of layups to withstand UCLA’s early push. A
three-pointer by Wildcat guard Gary Buchanan cut the deficit to
14-12 ““ the closest Villanova got all afternoon.
But a Bruin 10-0 run over the next six minutes, bookended by
Kapono and Watson three-pointers, was the early dagger.
Villanova’s leading scorer with 18 points, 6-foot-10 center
Michael Bradley, was virtually ineffective in the half-court
offense, even when UCLA center Dan Gadzuric left the game in the
first half with back spasms.
“By showing the press, it gets teams frustrated with the
different look,” Kapono said after his career-high 28-point
performance on Saturday. “It also gets our juices
flowing.”
UCLA closed the half with Ryan Bailey tipping in an errant
Watson jumper off a steal, making it 44-30 after 20 minutes of
play.
Lavin reminded his players during the intermission of what
happened against USC, when the Bruins built a similar lead against
the Trojans Thursday and let it slip away, having to struggle for
the win in the end.
UCLA started the second half with the same full-court press game
plan.
“It’s a good system,” Barnes said of a press
that helped him to a 15- point, seven-rebound and six-steal
performance. “Once (opponents) break the press, they
don’t exactly get into their offense and that’s what we
want.”
With less than eight minutes to go in the game, Watson found
Barnes with a cross-court pass that the junior forward converted
for a fast break reverse layup to push the lead to 84-53. With
their largest advantage of the game and 1:13 to go, Lavin emptied
the bench. A Todd Ramasar put-back and Janou Rubin fall-away jumper
capped the afternoon offensively for UCLA.
The Bruin starting backcourt put the clamps on the Villanova
guards to hold them to four of 15 from beyond the arc and seven of
21 from the field. UCLA also induced 11 of Villanova’s 26
turnovers in the game. Watson finished with 17 points and eight
assists, while Flowers had eight points and three assists in just
14 minutes of action.
After a 4-4 start, Watson is not surprised by UCLA’s
recent play.
“I am not amazed at all,” he said. “The North
Carolina game this year was, in my mind, a lot like the Syracuse
game last year. We are getting to that stage earlier this year than
last year when we ran off eight straight wins at the end of the
season. This just shows the experience and maturity of the
ballclub.”
UCLA out-rebounded Villanova 46-29, including 19-9 on the
offensive glass. The Bruins had 11 steals with the press but shot
49.3 percent (36 of 73) from the field and gave up 18 team
turnovers ““ something this squad knows they can’t do
next week against Arizona.
But Watson is quick to emphasize one trait that has helped the
Bruins on their current winning streak.
“We have that killer instinct.”