UCLA was on outside last time

UCLA featured a lock-down defense and an opportunistic offense to reach the NCAA championship game last year, but once there, the Bruins proved to be no match for Florida, which dominated to win by 16 points.

The Gators’ offensive balance and willingness to make the extra pass ripped through UCLA Coach Ben Howland’s trademark man defense, which spent much of the game playing flat-footed and without much anticipation.

Florida did not try anything fancy, just basic inside-outside basketball, with Joakim Noah and Al Horford controlling the game in the paint (30 points, 16 rebounds and eight blocked shots combined) and Corey Brewer and Lee Humphrey providing effective shooting from the perimeter (a combined six for 11 on three-pointers).

But often overlooked is how the Gators jumped all over the Bruins with their own brand of defensive pressure. Coach Billy Donovan turned loose Noah, Horford and the rest of the Gators’ big men, who helped limit UCLA to 36% shooting from the field.

Guards Taureen Green and Humphrey did their part by making it difficult for UCLA backcourt players to penetrate, and that allowed Florida to aggressively attack the Bruins’ passes once they got into their half-court offense.

This created some confusion for UCLA, which finished with 12 turnovers and had Jordan Farmar attempt a third of the team’s field goals (he was eight of 21).

Whenever the Bruins did get close enough for a good look at the basket, they often found Noah (who had five blocked shots by halftime) or Horford. That forced UCLA to take plenty of shots from the outside, which was not a good thing, as the Bruins misfired on 14 of 17 three-point attempts.

It could have been worse for UCLA if not for the play of big men Ryan Hollins, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Alfred Aboya and Lorenzo Mata, who helped the Bruins hold a 38-35 rebounding edge. They sparked a small second-half run for the Bruins, who cut a 20-point deficit to 12 before Florida finished them off.

Summary: Last year, the Bruins’ turnovers played right into Florida’s game plan, which was to force an up-tempo game. With Arron Afflalo and Darren Collison each turning the ball over three times, and Farmar twice, UCLA never seemed to find an offensive rhythm against Florida. And when the Bruins turned to their own full-court pressure, Noah was a difference maker with his ability to dribble up the floor and help the Gators get into their offense.

lonnie.white@latimes.com