Friday, February 14, 1997
M. HOOPS:
Bruins stay tied for first in Pac-10 with victory at ArizonaBy
Emmanuelle Ejercito
Daily Bruin Staff
The No. 24 UCLA men’s basketball team defeated No. 11 Arizona,
66-64, blemishing the Wildcats’ undefeated home record and giving
Steve Lavin a win in his first game as the permanent head
coach.
The victory at McKale Center was only UCLA’s third in 10 years
and keeps the Bruins (14-7 overall, 9-3 Pac-10) tied for first in
the conference with USC, which defeated Arizona State 72-66 while
Arizona falls from third to fourth place in the Pac-10.
The win was big, but it wasn’t pretty. Arizona’s trap forced
UCLA to commit a season-high 28 turnovers. What kept the Bruins in
the game was its tenacious man-to-man defense.
While UCLA shot 58.7 percent, it held Arizona (15-6, 7-4) to
only 40.4 percent shooting. And second looks were hard to come by
for the Wildcats, as UCLA dominated the boards with 28 defensive
rebounds.
"Our defensive pressure on the ball and on their three-point
shooters and in transition was really the key to the game," Lavin
said.
Another big factor for the Bruins was yet another stellar game
for senior Charles O’Bannon. O’Bannon recorded a season-high 26
points.
"I’ve never played real good ball against Arizona and to play
two good ones in my last year really means something to me,"
O’Bannon said. "And to get a sweep on them really feels good."
With 1:56 remaining in the game, Arizona guard Miles Simon
connected on two free throws, giving the Wildcats a 64-62
advantage. O’Bannon would tie the score with 59 seconds left with a
15-foot jumper from the right baseline.
On the ensuing possession, Simon was called for a charge against
Cameron Dollar, giving UCLA the ball with 45 seconds left. On the
next play, Toby Bailey found J.R. Henderson inside for the go-ahead
basket.
With 18 seconds left, Arizona had one last chance to tie the
score, but Jelani McCoy blocked Mike Bibby’s eight-foot shot and
Simon’s last- ditch attempt was an airball that fell into Bailey’s
hands.
AARON TOUT
Arizona’s Donnell Harris struggles to block Kris Johnson’s shot
attempt in the battle for the Pac-10.