UCLA beats Stanford to win Pac-10 Tournament

The No. 3-ranked UCLA men’s basketball team won the Pac-10 Tournament today with a 67-64 win over Stanford at Staples Center.

After a tight first half, UCLA built a 10-point lead with just less than two minutes remaining. Poor free throw shooting let the Cardinal back into the game, though, and Stanford’s Anthony Goods nearly tied the game with a desperation 3-pointer as time expired.

Goods’ shot clanged off the side of the rim and the Bruins claimed the championship.

The Bruins will now enter the NCAA Tournament on a 10-game winning streak and as the undisputed Pac-10 champions.

The NCAA will release the tournament bracket Sunday at 3 p.m. UCLA is almost certain to receive a No. 1 seed after its excellent weekend, which also included wins over USC and California.

The game Saturday starkly contrasted with the last meeting between the two teams, which Stanford dominated until a furious UCLA comeback late in the game.

The Cardinal could not stop UCLA point guard Darren Collison this time, as the junior poured in 28 points in what may have been the best game of his Bruin career. UCLA also limited Brook Lopez, the Cardinal’s standout center, to 15 points on 5-of-14 shooting.

The Bruins played without junior forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, who sprained his ankle in the semifinal win over USC.

Back spasms hampered freshman Kevin Love. He sat out for a portion of the first half. He finished with 12 points but just six rebounds, well below his season average of 10.8 rebounds per game.

The Bruins also struggled mightily at the free-throw line, making just nine of their 23 attempts.

But it was UCLA’s offensive rebounding, points off turnovers and Collison’s stunning performance that led to a Bruin victory.

The tournament championship is the second in three seasons for the program.

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