Lute Olson Plays It Tough, and So Does UCLA, 58-54

Just as in the soap operas, UCLA’s Bruins found a reason to go on Saturday, right into the arms of what was left of Arizona’s Wildcats, who’d been whittled down by their coach, stern old Lute Olson.

UCLA won. In Westwood, they’re still playing “Bruins’ Hope.”

Olson benched two starters--Pete Williams and Morgan Taylor--for what was described only as “curfew violations.” The Bruins took a 12-point lead, then saw the Arizona first string, reunited at last for the second half, cut it to one. But UCLA held on to beat the Wildcats, 58-54, in front of 7,582 fans in Pauley Pavilion. That was some 5,000 fewer than had watched the four-overtime loss to USC Thursday night.

But the race goes on. The Bruins are 14-12, 10-6 in the Pacific 10, two games behind first-place USC but one game behind second-place Oregon State and Washington. And Oregon State plays here Thursday. The Bruins’ dream is to win their last two games--Oregon State and at Oregon--finish third or fourth in the conference and get an invitation to the new 64-team NCAA tournament.

So were they hurt that they didn’t get the opportunity to play Arizona at full strength?

Hardly.

“They put five guys on the floor,” UCLA Coach Walt Hazzard said. “I don’t care who’s out there.”

The Arizona dream is similar to the UCLA dream, though with higher numbers. Arizona was 19-6 and tied for first place in the Pac-10 after knocking off USC in the Sports Arena two weeks ago. After that, the Wildcats had lost to Oregon at home, and at Washington Thursday.

It was at Seattle Thursday night that Williams and Taylor committed their infractions. Despite the importance of Saturday’s game, and the fact that it was regionally televised by CBS, Olson sat them down.

“Do you adjust your rules because it’s an important game?” Olson said. “Maybe some guys would, but you won’t see me do it. I’ve been in this 28 years, and the next time I do it will be the first. Maybe that has something to do with the success we’ve had.

“Pete Williams has made great sacrifices for this program. He’s one of the finest people I’ve ever worked with. Unfortunately, he had a weak moment. I had intended to bring him in somewhere in the first half.”

And to the skeptics, who contend that Olson could do it because he knows he has an NCAA bid locked up?

“Great,” Olson said dryly. “I’d like to accept everybody’s congratulations that we’re in the tournament.”

Williams, No. 2 in rebounding in conference games and No. 1 in shooting percentage, didn’t enter the game until 7:47 remained in the first half. Taylor, who perhaps has made fewer sacrifices for the program, didn’t appear until the start of the second half when the Wildcats were 10 points behind.

The Bruins took an early 9-2 lead, but the Wildcats closed to 13-12, long before Williams was allowed out. Olson’s matchup zone was bothering the Bruins until Hazzard sent in Dave Immel for Nigel Miguel.

You remember Immel. A sophomore guard, he had been playing better as the season progressed. He didn’t win his first real Bruin fame, though, until Thursday night when he missed two free throws with 10 seconds left in the fourth overtime.

Saturday, he did what he’d done in the first USC game: turned the momentum the Bruins’ way, only this time it stayed that way long enough for a win. In one short burst in the Sports Arena on Feb. 1, Immel had assisted on or scored seven of nine UCLA baskets. In a five-minute burst Saturday, he scored five points, assisted on a basket and led the Bruins to a 26-14 lead, their biggest. In his 17 minutes Saturday, he had seven points, three assists and four rebounds.

“I was glad I was able to do it,” he said. “I really needed that.”

With 5:34 left, UCLA led, 52-43, but Arizona cut it to 52-51 with 2:40 left. The Bruins held the ball for a minute, before Miguel was fouled. Olson called Brock Brunkhorst over and told him: “Take a timeout just before he (the referee) hands it to him (Miguel).”

Miguel set up on the free-throw line. The referee started to hand him the ball. Brunkhorst called time. Miguel looked back at Olson.

A minute later, Miguel stepped back up the line, dropped his first try in cleanly, then rolled the other one in.

Miguel missed his next front end, though. At the other end, Brad Wright blocked an Eddie Smith shot, and the Bruins had the ball back.

This time, Arizona fouled Kelvin Butler, who had not won any real fame as a Bruin at any time. Butler, the 10th Bruin in, a roly-poly 6-6 freshman, was being used to help defend against the Arizona big men who like to post up. He had taken 16 free throws all season.

He’d made 13, too. In this game, he made both ends of his first one-and-one. The second time he was fouled, he made the front end and missed the second. That was with :21 left and the Bruins led, 57-52, which was enough. They live to fight another day.

Bruin Notes

For the record: UCLA’s victory leaves USC’s magic number at two, over Washington and Oregon State. . . . Reggie Miller led the Bruins with 15 points; Eddie Smith had 18 points and 11 rebounds for Arizona. . . . The best UCLA free-throw shooter? Ann Dean. She’s shooting 91%. The leading member of the men’s team, with more than 20 attempts, is Miller, 78.3%. . . . Walt Hazzard, on Thursday’s loss to USC: “Wayne Carlander played the game of his life. If he’d had an average game, we’d have blown them out of the building. But he’s a senior and a leader. He’s supposed to do that. He’ll probably be named conference Player of the Year. I take my hat off to him.” . . . Hazzard, on Saturday’s game: “Lute Olson told everyone he was going to win the conference. I think we hurt them today.” . . . And Hazzard, on his team:, “I’m proud of everything this Bruin team has done this year. You men (writers) have put them through a lot this year, but they’ve withstood it. They’re standing tall.” . . . An Arizona official said later that this loss might cost the Wildcats an NCAA bid, since the selection committee will grade them down for winning three games against Division II schools. Arizona, however, is rated in the top 20 in both wire-service polls. The Wildcats would seem to have a pretty good chance of being one of 64 teams in the tournament. . . . Pete Williams: “I think he (Olson) was right. I was wrong.”