UCLA sends a message in the Pac-10 tournament
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The game seemed all but won for UCLA with an 11-point lead and only 1:46 remaining.
So what did Coach Ben Howland do?
In the waning moments of Thursday night’s 64-53 victory over Washington State in the Pac-10 tournament, he sent all five of his starters, who had been resting comfortably on the bench, back into the game.
Was he trying to keep them in rhythm for tonight’s semifinal against USC? Send a message to the other teams in the field? Perhaps score a few more points to impress the NCAA selection committee on Sunday?
His message was more basic.
‘That a team can come back and win down 11 with [1:46] to go,’ Howland said, ‘and we’re not taking any chances.’
Washington State cut the gap to seven points with 30 seconds left, but Jrue Holiday and Nikola Dragovic made their free throws to rebuild that 11-point margin at the final buzzer.
-- David Wharton