They won’t do it. No matter how far the UCLA Bruins fall,
they refuse to equate this season to last year.
And frankly, they’re right. Thursday night’s 55-48
loss to Washington State may have been more demoralizing than
anything witnessed at Pauley Pavilion last year or any other year
for that matter.
The die-hard few who remained in their seats for the final
moments of UCLA’s sixth consecutive loss witnessed the Bruins
plunge into historic depths. The Cougars outmuscled UCLA all night,
registering their first-ever victory in 39 tries against the Bruins
in Los Angeles.
“There’s a first time for everything, I guess”
coach Ben Howland said. “With the tradition and the history
of this program, it’s very hard for these guys to go through
all this again.”
The atmosphere at Pauley Pavilion eerily was reminiscent of the
lowest moments of last year’s 19-loss debacle. Those fans who
even bothered to attend wore pained expressions on their faces,
presumably including one whose frown was obscured by a brown paper
bag he had over his head.
The scene on the court was equally repulsive for the Bruins
(9-9, 5-5 Pac-10) as their recent offensive woes continued. Stymied
by opponents’ zone defenses over the past few weeks, UCLA
instead fell victim to Washington State’s tenacious
man-to-man defense.
The Bruins failed to generate any offense for long stretches
during the middle of the game, converting just 2-of-12 three-point
attempts and shooting just 34.9 percent overall from the field.
“They were the first team to play man-to-man against us
the whole game since I can’t even remember,” Howland
said. “And we still didn’t shoot well.”
Part of the reason for UCLA’s offensive struggles may have
been Washington State’s deliberate style. Playing 30 to 35
seconds of defense each possession clearly took a toll on the
Bruins’ legs, as sharp shooters Dijon Thompson and Janou
Rubin each came up short on a number of jump shots down the
stretch.
First-year Cougar coach Dick Bennett has instilled a patient
offensive approach at Washington State (10-10, 4-6), and it proved
effective against the Bruins. Thomas Kelati had a team-high 15
points, scorching the Bruins repeatedly from the perimeter, while
Jeff Varem (13 points) and Shami Gill (8 points) did the bulk of
the work in the paint.
“They were the better team tonight,” UCLA senior
forward T.J. Cummings said. “All of our guys came to play
tonight, but the game was played at their tempo. It was a tough
game, but it’s frustrating to lose again.”
Howland echoed Cummings’ sentiments about UCLA’s
strong effort from the outset but admitted it did not translate
onto the scoreboard. Washington State built its four-point halftime
lead to 14 by the 11-minute mark of the second half, seizing
control of the game behind its tireless defensive intensity and the
marksmanship of Kelati.
Listless throughout much of the second half, the Bruins finally
mounted a charge in the final seven minutes after Howland employed
a full-court press, presumably to try to speed up the tempo.
Thompson and Cummings, who led the Bruins with 15 points apiece,
each made key buckets as UCLA trimmed the lead to two points with
just over three minutes remaining.
But when it seemed the Bruins might avoid a historic loss,
Washington State stood strong. Late free throws from Gill and
Marcus Moore preserved the victory.
“What makes this loss even tougher is that we got so
close,” Cummings said. “I hate to lose. It’s the
worst feeling.”
Added assistant coach Donny Daniels, “We have to come in
here (Saturday against Washington) and right this ship.”