TUCSON, Ariz. “”mdash; The rivers of sweat had not yet dried on
Jordan Farmar’s forehead Thursday night, yet the UCLA guard
had already begun to look ahead. Leaning against a wall in the
Bruin locker room, a few minutes after UCLA’s 78-66 loss to
Texas Tech in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the McKale
Center, Farmar declared that he would not lose this early in March
again.
“I won’t let it happen a second time,” he
said. “As disappointed as I am, it’s going to make me
work harder because I never want to feel like this again.
It was a bitter ending to an otherwise sweet season for the
Bruins, and another learning experience for a heralded freshman
trio that had hoped to lead 11th-seeded UCLA (18-11) deep into
March.
Farmar rushed a flurry of second-half shots that helped
sixth-seeded Texas Tech put the game away. Arron Afflalo allowed
two early fouls to take him out of his offensive rhythm. And Josh
Shipp, despite a superb 11-point first half, was not a factor
offensively after the break, yielding to his teammates and only
converting one second-half basket.
The result was a loss that demonstrated both how far UCLA has
come since back-to-back losing seasons and how far the program
still has to go to regain its elite status.
“This team had so much potential this year,” Afflalo
said. “We had a lot of talent, and throughout the course of
the season, we showed what type of team we can be. We’ve had
a great season overall, but it’s disappointing to go out
knowing we’re a better team than we showed.”
Some of the credit for that, the Bruins said, has to go to Texas
Tech (21-10), which was making its third NCAA Tournament appearance
in four years under legendary coach Bob Knight.
The Red Raiders carved up UCLA’s man-to-man defense with
their precise motion offense, shooting 61.5 percent from the field
and finding a way to score whenever the Bruins put any pressure on
them.
It was 49-44 when Texas Tech’s Ronald Ross exploded around
a screen for a wide-open layup. It was 57-53 when Devonne Giles
sealed off UCLA’s Ryan Hollins on the low block, absorbed the
contact, and converted a 3-point play. And it was 66-59 when
Jarrius Jackson curled around a screen and knifed through the lane
for a bucket, igniting an 8-0 Texas Tech run that essentially
clinched a berth in the second round against third-seeded Gonzaga
for the Red Raiders.
Texas Tech’s execution was so flawless that the often
feisty Knight remained calm on the bench for most of the game.
“We were able to counter their runs as we went
along,” Knight said. “We stayed out of range of being
able to be tied in the second half, and that was important for
us.”
Said UCLA’s Dijon Thompson, “We couldn’t get
over that hump.”
Ross, a former walk-on, led Texas Tech with 28 points on
11-for-20 shooting, and Jackson and Giles scored 19 and 16
respectively. Thompson, who like fellow-senior Brian Morrison was
playing in his last collegiate game, countered with 22 points to
lead the Bruins.
UCLA coach Ben Howland sniped at the referees throughout the
second half, even kicking the scorer’s table after Giles
appeared to push off on Thompson to secure an important rebound
late in the second half. Yet, by the time he emerged from the
locker room to speak with reporters, he had already set aside his
frustration.
“I’m really proud of what our guys accomplished this
year,” Howland said. “And I’m very proud that
Dijon and these three freshmen were here to help lead this program
back on the right track.”
Farmar, perhaps, had the most frustrating night of all, scoring
three points and going 1-for-9 from the field, but he too put on a
brave face after the game.
“We lost to a very good basketball team today,” he
said. “It sucks to have to say that, but there were a lot of
positives this season and we went through a lot of adversity.
I think we have to look at each other, be proud of what we
accomplished, and use it as a learning experience for next
year.”
Asked if things will be better then, Farmar nodded.
“You’ll see,” he said.