Bruins Earn Key Overtime Victory Against Huskies

Chris Welp, Washington’s big, strong 7-foot center from West Germany, watched helplessly from the bench as the Huskies were beaten in overtime by UCLA, 94-89, at Pauley Pavilion Thursday night.

The upset cost the Huskies the lead in the Pacific 10 race.

Had Welp still been on the court, chances are the game never would have gone into overtime. But Welp fouled out with 2:49 left in regulation and, all of a sudden, the Bruins had a chance.

UCLA Coach Walt Hazzard had billed this game as a moment of truth, a do-or-die game for the Bruins if they were to stay alive in the Pacific 10 conference race.

So now there is hope. Those among the 7,718 at Pauley Pavilion who rushed onto the court to celebrate certainly thought so.

UCLA’s record improved to 5-4 in the conference, 10-8 overall.

Washington, a team that started Thursday evening with a half-game lead over Arizona in the PAC-10 race, fell to 7-3 in the conference and 13-9 overall.

Arizona had won at Cal, 61-52, in a game that had started a half-hour earlier. That victory gave Arizona a half-game lead in the conference.

Washington Coach Andy Russo had no qualms about zeroing in on just what made the difference in the two games of this series--one that Washington won by 25 points at Seattle and one that UCLA won at home by seven.

“When Welp fouled out, it just changed the whole game,” Russo said. “He was scoring every time he touched the ball.

“The blocking foul on Welp for his fifth foul was a bad call. But these things are going to happen when you play on the road. We had enough chances to win the game and we just didn’t do it.”

Washington missed a lot of free throws down the stretch, but so did UCLA.

Pooh Richardson, the Bruins’ freshman point guard, missed a free throw in regulation that could have won it.

But Richardson, who finished the game with 21 points and seven assists, did a lot more things right for the Bruins as they dominated the overtime period.

Reggie Miller led UCLA with 34 points, but the biggest factor in the Bruins’ last-minute rally was Washington’s loss of Welp.

“Losing Welp with so much time left really helped us,” Hazzard said. “He was killing us inside. He was scoring at will.”

UCLA had come back from an eight-point deficit in the first half while Welp was on the bench, resting while Bruin center Jack Haley sat with three fouls.

Welp had only two fouls then, but he picked up two more early in the second half and had to be taken out with 15:57 to play. Washington led by 11 at the time.

The Bruins soon closed to within four points, Haley scoring consecutive baskets on offensive rebounds to cut the Huskies lead to 57-53.

Washington’s Shag Williams then scored on a tip-in and UCLA forward Craig Jackson scored on a rebound so that the Washington lead was still four when, with 8:07 to play, Welp returned.

After Williams missed two free throws for Washington, Haley came away with the rebound and Bruin guard Montel Hatcher, who seems to be out of his scoring slump, found himself alone on the left wing and hit a long shot to bring the Bruins within two points.

But then Welp started hitting his soft little bank shots to give the Huskies a more comfortable margin.

Two big plays gave the Bruins their break in the final minutes. Bruin forward Craig Jackson blocked Welp’s shot at one end of the court and escaped a foul call. And, at the other end, Miller drove the baseline, scored and drew the fifth foul on Welp, forcing him out with 2:49 to play in regulation.

Miller’s free throw brought UCLA within a point, and less than a minute later Richardson scored on a 15-foot jumper from the left corner to put the Bruins ahead, 72-71.

UCLA still had that lead--and the ball--with 1:05 to play. The Bruins passed the ball around the perimeter looking for a shot. They couldn’t find one, but the shot clock was showing :06 so Miller put one up from at least 25 feet. He made it and UCLA led by three.

Williams answered with a quick basket. But the Bruins had a one-point lead and they had the ball for what promised to be the final possession.

Washington’s Al Moscatel fouled Richardson with eight seconds to play. It was ruled an intentional foul, so Richardson shot two.

He made one.

And, with the final seconds ticking away, the Huskies rushed down to have forward Paul Fortier put up a shot that bounced away to Williams for the rebound shot that beat the buzzer and sent the game into overtime.

Even without Welp, Washington could have pulled the game out just by hitting some free throws. Welp and Fortier (who led the Huskies with 27 points) were the only Huskies who could hit free throws.

The Huskies made just seven of 20 from the line--and would have had even more chances if they had made the front end of some one-and-ones.

Washington will play USC Saturday at the Sports Arena. UCLA will play Washington State Sunday afternoon at Pauley Pavilion.