The UCLA men’s basketball team learned on Thursday night
that it would be spending its Thanksgiving away from Southern
California, exchanging a home-cooked feast for perhaps a fast-food
run.
And judging by the Bruins’ reaction as they headed toward
the locker room after an impressive 54-47 victory over Temple at
Pauley Pavilion, it was welcomed news.
For the first time since 1992, No. 19 UCLA (2-0) advanced to the
semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-Off, and with it, earned a ticket
to New York City and Madison Square Garden.
Awaiting them there is No. 12 Memphis (2-0), who disposed of No.
14 Alabama with an 87-76 win on Thursday night to also advance to
the tournament’s semi-final on Nov. 23.
“It’s a big deal that we’re going,”
sophomore Arron Afflalo said. “I’m excited. All my
teammates are psyched.”
But it wasn’t entirely a celebration at Pauley Pavilion on
Thursday night.
Though his team had just cemented a victory against a quality
opponent rarely seen around Westwood this early in the season, UCLA
coach Ben Howland still had reason to appear relatively somber at
his postgame press conference.
That’s because the Bruins will be boarding their flight to
New York much more hobbled than previously anticipated. Already
missing two potential starters in Josh Shipp and Alfred Aboya, the
Bruins may be without two more after center Michael Fey sprained
his left shoulder in the second half and point guard Jordan Farmar
sprained his right ankle in the game’s final minutes,
returning for a brief stint.
Fey underwent an MRI and Farmar had an X-ray of his ankle. The
status of both players’ availability is expected to be
determined later today.
“The win is kind of marred right now because I don’t
know the status of Mike and Jordan,” Howland said.
“Still, I am excited about the win. Temple is a tough team to
play.”
That much was apparent in the game’s final 20 minutes, as
UCLA found a way to make interesting what looked like a guaranteed
victory in the first half,
Having cleverly disguised their youth and inexperience playing
together in the first half, UCLA allowed Temple (1-1) to steadily
trim a comfortable 15-point lead to a knee-shattering three-point
advantage with nearly four minutes remaining.
But senior center Ryan Hollins’ two free throws and
emphatic dunk on the ensuing possession ensured that was the
closest the Owls would get.
“We had a small letdown,” said Afflalo, who again
led the Bruins in scoring with 18 points.
“We had to come out with the same fire we started with in
the first half.”
That fire is exactly why the Owls found themselves down by that
much in the first place.
In the first half, the Bruins did it from behind the arc with
five 3-pointers, did it with their defense in limiting Temple to 21
percent shooting, and did it without Farmar, who was on the bench
in foul trouble.
The Bruins appeared to break the Owls’ spirit while
energizing their crowd with a 19-4 run to the end of the half,
during which Darren Collison blocked a 3-pointer and attempted an
underhand shot to beat the buzzer, Cedric Bozeman scored four of
his points with his left hand, and Hollins pleaded for the crowd to
rise.
In a scene better reserved for early March, the Pauley Pavilion
faithful rewarded UCLA with standing ovations that seemed
appropriate, and the Bruins left their second game of the season
hungrier than just for a Thanksgiving meal.
“We deserve to go to New York,” said Afflalo, who
will be making his first trip to the Big Apple. “But as far
as Thanksgiving, I usually go to my grandmother’s house (in
Los Angeles). I don’t know what I’m going to do
now.”