PULLMAN, Wash.-“”mdash;Had UCLA’s Jordan Farmar done what
he intended as the final seconds of regulation ticked off the clock
Thursday night, senior Dijon Thompson would never have had the
chance to bury the game-tying shot. The precocious young freshman
had every intention of rubbing his defender off a Ryan
Hollins’ screen and freeing himself for a 3-pointer as he
charged up court with the Bruins trailing Washington State 49-46.
Yet when two Cougar defenders ran at Farmar, he had the presence of
mind to change the plan on the fly. Out of the corner of his eye,
he spied Thompson, who sunk a 20-footer at the buzzer from the
right wing over the outstretched fingertips of Washington
State’s Daven Hamerling to give UCLA new life. “Hollins
set it all up with a great screen,” said Farmar, who had
already hit a key 3-pointer a few minutes earlier. “They had
no choice but to double me because it would have been me with the
open shot.” Washington State guard Thomas Kelati said the
Cougars made an error leaving Thompson, UCLA’s leading
scorer, open, especially after he had played so well down the
stretch. “It was a mental mistake,” Kelati said.
“We left their best shooter open, and you can’t do
that. He got just enough room to hit a big shot, and he hit
it.”
CENTER OF ATTENTION: A non-factor throughout much of conference
play, Hollins got a rare opportunity to play significant minutes,
and he took advantage. The wiry 7-footer played 36 minutes
including every minute of the second half and overtime, scoring
eight points and pulling down eight rebounds. Though he missed two
free throws that could have clinched the game for the Bruins with
five seconds remaining, the junior was pleased to play a role in
the victory. “I didn’t take anything for
granted,” Hollins said. “I never doubted myself, and
coach did a good job of staying on me. It’s definitely big
for my confidence.”
FEY SITS: Howland said starting center Michael Fey played only
four minutes Thursday night because Hollins was a better defensive
match-up against versatile Washington State forward Jeff Varem.
Fey, who has averaged 23.7 minutes per game in conference play, did
not play at all in the second half or overtime. The 7-footer did
sustain a small cut on his right hand early in the game, but
Howland said that was not the reason why he did not return to the
Bruin lineup.
DRIBBLERS: Washington State’s Jeff Varem scored the first
seven points of the game for the Cougars … The Cougars had five
freshmen on the floor during the final 55.6 seconds of the first
half … Washington State’s 18 first-half points were the
fewest allowed by the Bruins in a half this season …
Thursday’s game marked the first time Washington State has
gone into overtime with the same team twice in one season since the
1951-1952 season against Montana.