Spring break recap: everything you missed

Spring Break came and went, but with so many of us globe-trotting or catching up on sleep, we may have missed some big headlines in UCLA sports. So grab your sunblock, plop yourself on a lawn chair at Sunset Rec and get ready for the five Facebook status updates you never saw.

Ben Howland leaves UCLA for DePaul … or not

The rumor mill began spinning when ESPN reported Wednesday that the UCLA men’s basketball coach of seven years was leaving for a program so desperate for a coach that they posted the job opening on their human resources Web site.

Howland was quick to get on a conference call with reporters, dispelling the rumors.

He said he had “zero interest” in the DePaul job, adding the reports were “absolutely unfounded, untrue ““ 100 percent unequivocal.”

Alright, good to have you, Ben.

Gymnastics wins another Pac-10 title

Anna Li and the Bruins were dominating the competition. Despite having lost to Pac-10 rival Stanford twice, the Bruins took over the field Saturday afternoon going into the last rotation when Li stepped up to the uneven bars.

So the senior just needed a solid finish on the routine to keep the Bruins from losing their hold on first place.

But that wasn’t enough ““ Li had to get a perfect score, her first on the uneven bars in her storied college career.

Women’s basketball looks like they’re going to upset Nebraska … for about five minutes. And Nikki Caldwell is all over TV

The Bruins opened their second-round game against top-seeded Nebraska with a big lead and looked like they were about the become the Cinderella of women’s hoops. But Nebraska’s coach Connie Yori kept her poise as her team carefully got back against the Bruins to eventually pull away in the second half.

And, almost overnight, Caldwell became the face of women’s basketball. She was all the rage for ESPN’s talking heads and even made an appearance on CBS’ Sports Central.

Baseball can’t lose!

The Bruins haven’t lost in their 20 games this season, and there’s no end in sight. They have had some tough tests early this season facing the likes of Vanderbilt and Oklahoma. With the start of Pac-10 play looming this weekend, they have their toughest test ahead of them with No. 19 Stanford visiting.

If you have some sports news that Mashhood may have missed, e-mail him at fmashhood@media.ucla.edu.

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