For a third straight year, the UCLA basketball team will leave the Final Four without a national title.
The Bruins fell 78-63 in the national semifinal Saturday to a high-flying Memphis team led by the brilliant play of freshman point guard Derrick Rose and junior guard Chris Douglas Roberts.
UCLA stayed close throughout the first half and trailed by just three points at the break. The Tigers jumped out in front during the first few minutes of the second period and stayed comfortably ahead throughout.
Ben Howland’s Bruin team had a chance with just six minutes remaining, down 59-52, when the Memphis offense briefly stalled, but two UCLA 3-point tries rattled out and then the Bruins fell further behind.
Sophomore Russell Westbrook kept UCLA in the game with his 22 points, but the Bruins couldn’t overcome a poor showing by point guard Darren Collison, who fouled out for just the second time in his career and scored only two points.
The story of the day was Memphis’ transition offense and the sheer dominance of Rose and Douglas-Roberts.
The Bruins tried many options but couldn’t find a defender to slow Douglas-Roberts, who finished with 28 points. Rose was simply too quick and too strong for the UCLA backcourt; he scored 25.
Kevin Love had another double-double for UCLA, but he made just four of his 12 field goal tries and didn’t dominate the boards. Memphis outrebounded UCLA 42-35.
The Tigers shot poorly from the free-throw line all season, but on Saturday they were nearly perfect, making 20 of 23 attempts. Rose hit 11 of 12 on his own.
Memphis now advances to the championship game, where it will face either Kansas or North Carolina on Monday night.