Coach Ben Howland is always right.
Just ask Lorenzo Mata.
Following UCLA’s impressive 85-79 victory over Arizona on
Thursday, Howland said that Mata’s game was the best
he’s played in his Bruin career.
The sophomore center, who finished with nine points and seven
rebounds in 19 minutes, initially refused to make a claim that
bold. But then again, if Coach says so …
“If he said so, that’s the man that matters,”
Mata said. “Whatever Coach says, that goes. If he says
that’s the best game I’ve played, that’s the best
game I’ve played.”
Though the numbers certainly seem to support the claim, there
were also the intangibles that don’t stand out on the stat
sheet. In a two-minute span beginning with just under six minutes
to play in the game, Mata drew two offensive fouls against Arizona,
grabbed two critical offensive rebounds, and made three of four
free throws.
“I thought Lorenzo was spectacular,” Howland
said.
Mata’s contributions were also recognized by his
teammates. On a team that is very guard-oriented and still
searching for a kind of inside presence, Mata, who has started at
center the last four games, appears to be coming along.
“Lorenzo was huge,” freshman point guard Darren
Collison said. “That’s what we need. The guards
can’t always do it on their own. He stepped up and he played
big, and it helped us.”
MAKING A POINT: Sophomore point guard Jordan
Farmar, who has been struggling with a sprained right ankle for
much of the season, had more problems Thursday. He re-injured the
ankle late in the first half, and though he returned several
minutes later, he certainly wasn’t at 100 percent.
Fortunately for the Bruins, his replacement, Collison, was more
than able. On Thursday, in fact, Collison might have even been
better than the reigning Pac-10 Freshman of the Year. Farmar
finished with 11 points and 6 turnovers in 24 minutes, while his
freshman protégé contributed nine points, two steals, and
just four turnovers in 30 incredibly valuable minutes.
“I was playing poorly, and was glad to see Darren stepped
it up,” Farmar said. “I wanted to do what was best for
the team, and tonight Darren did a great job stepping in making
some plays.”
Collison made two critical free throws with less than two
minutes remaining that stretched the UCLA lead to seven, and he
appeared very poised in the face of the relentless Arizona pressure
and unfriendly confines of the McKale Center.
“The more pressure they give to me, I feel like I’m
going to get better as a player. This is my first year, all this
pressure, all this hype, I feel like it’s really good for me.
I’m not nervous at all.”
There’s no question, however, that the team needs Farmar
healthy. Farmar said after Thursday’s victory that he thought
he would sit out the remainder of the game after rolling his ankle
with 4:55 to play in the first half.
After a discussion with his father, Farmar decided to tape his
ankle tighter and re-enter the game. He made a critical play with
time winding down in the first half, breaking down Mustafa Shakur
off the dribble and drawing a foul as he made a fade-away 15-foot
jumper. His free throw gave the Bruins a four-point lead at
halftime.
“Jordan is a tough guy,” Collison said.
“He’s a real tough guy. His sprained ankle might be
bothering him sometimes, but without a doubt he’s always
going to be playing. He’s always going to give the team what
he’s got, so we’re not worried about Jordan.”
DRIBBLERS: Former Bruin Dijon Thompson was in
attendance for Thursday night’s game. Thompson, UCLA’s
leading scorer and rebounder last season, is playing for the
NBA’s Phoenix Suns. Thompson scored five points and had one
block in a Suns victory over Philadelphia on Wednesday night in
Phoenix. … Neither senior center Michael Fey (ankle) nor senior
forward Cedric Bozeman (shoulder) made the trip to Arizona. Ryan
Hollins (groin) was on the bench in street clothes, and he will not
play. … Freshman forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute led the Bruins
in rebounding with nine. The only time Mbah a Moute has not led
UCLA in rebounding was in the team’s loss to Cal on Dec.
31.