Kings of the road: Bruins extend streak to 11 games
No. 1 UCLA runs away from Louisville 91-73 as E. O’Bannon pours
in 25
By Randy Satterburg
Daily Bruin Staff
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The top-ranked UCLA basketball team does many
things well, but perhaps most encouraging is the way the Bruins
play inspired basketball on the road, where they have lost only one
time this season. UCLA hasn’t been too shabby at home either, but
it just may be that this team is actually better away from the
comforts of home.
The Bruins’ road ability is particularly encouraging because it
is precisely the type of attribute that allows a team to put
together the six consecutive road wins that are necessary to win a
national championship.
Sunday afternoon UCLA went to its bag of tricks one more time to
see if it had any magic left for the last road game of the regular
season, and was pleased to find that it did. The Bruins came out
quick against Louisville to build a 10-point half-time lead, then
held off a late Cardinals’ run to pull away for a 91-73 victory in
front of a record-high crowd of 19,872 screaming fans at Freedom
Hall, who turned out hoping to see the nation’s No. 1 college
basketball team take a spill.
The win allowed the Bruins to finish their regular season road
schedule with their fewest number of losses in over 20 years,
dating back to the 1972-73 season when Bill Walton and Larry Farmer
led UCLA to a 30-0 record and a national title.
"We enjoy playing on the road," said sophomore Charles O’Bannon.
"(We’re able to) step up in the biggest games because we’re such a
close-knit unit, like a family. Going into hostile environments, we
kind of take it personally, and we try to (assume) a role as
underdogs and take over the game."
The win was the 11th consecutive for the Bruins (23-2 overall),
who ensured themselves another week at the top of the rankings,
with only a pair of home games remaining against the Oregon
schools. It also allowed UCLA to move one step closer to ending the
season as the nation’s No. 1 team, which would surely be good
enough for a top-seed in the west region of the upcoming NCAA
tournament.
"This team has been through a lot of heat," Tyus Edney said. "It
just seems that when the going gets tough, we get tougher."
UCLA was very tough out of the gates against Louisville, racing
out to a 22-9 lead after making nine of its first 13 field goals,
while holding the Cardinals to less than 27 percent shooting in the
process. The Bruins showed they would be active on the glass all
afternoon by grabbing 12 of the first 15 rebounds in the opening
half, and by game’s end UCLA owned a 40-22 rebounding
advantage.
"They out rebounded us by 18. That’s the big difference in the
ball game," Louisville head coach Denny Crum said.
Said Charles O’Bannon: "Going into the game we really wanted to
control the boards because we have a much taller team, and we had
good success doing that."
The Cardinals (16-13) were buoyed some by the return of freshman
center Samaki Walker (14 points), who was playing in his second
game back after sitting out four consecutive Louisville losses with
a foot injury.
But Walker could not stop UCLA’s offensive weapons, with four
players scoring 16 points or more, led by Ed O’Bannon’s 25 points
and Edney’s 20. Toby Bailey and Charles O’Bannon hurt Louisville
the most combining for 33 of UCLA’s 91 points, 13 of the Bruins’ 18
assists and 20 of the team’s 40 rebounds.
"Charles had a great line today," UCLA head coach Jim Harrick
said of O’Bannon, who had six assists, two blocks and no turnovers
to go with his 16 points and nine rebounds. "And I thought Toby
Bailey really gave us a nice lift."
The Bruins led at half-time, 41-31, and started the second half
strong. After Bailey converted offensive rebounds into lay-ups and
Charles O’Bannon slammed home two points on an offensive board,
UCLA lead by 18 points, at 54-36.
DeJuan Wheat (18 points) helped the Cardinals scratch and claw
their way back to a four-point deficit, 73-69, with just under
three minutes remaining. But Ed O’Bannon made his way to the free
throw line for two points, then his brother Charles forced a steal,
passed to Edney on the break, and hustled down court to throw the
ball through the rim with two hands after Edney’s lay-up didn’t
go.
In the game’s final 2:52, Louisville scored just four points,
while the Bruins hit 14 consecutive free throws (22/26 FT for the
game) to succeed with an 18 point margin of victory.
"Every time we got close they responded, and that’s what good
teams do," Crum said. "And they certainly are a very good
team."