Stumbling UCLA Stands Up to Cal’s Challenge

Cal Coach Lou Campanelli took the optimist’s approach. Instead of suffering over the realization that his team could have upset UCLA and completed a sweep while the Bruins were fumbling and stumbling Sunday afternoon in Pauley Pavilion, Campanelli chose to give his young team credit for forcing the turnovers, mucking up the tempo and keeping it close for so long.

UCLA did, finally, scratch out a 74-66 victory in their last game of the regular season, moving the Bruins into a tie for second-place with Oregon State in the final Pacific 10 Conference standings. As UCLA Coach Walt Hazzard put it, “Bottom line, it’s a W.”

UCLA’s record is 16-13 overall, 12-6 in the conference. Not a bad finish after the way the season started. Because of the win, UCLA will be third-seeded in the conference tournament, which begins Thursday at Tucson, Ariz. The Bruins will play Friday.

But their final regular-season victory was not a pretty sight. Not for the Bruin fans among the 7,710 at Pauley Pavilion. Nor was it much in the way of a running start at the tournament.

The Bruins, who average just a bit more than 14 turnovers a game, had 15 turnovers in the first half and finished with 25. That included a couple traveling calls. Passes sailed out of bounds. It was a team season high for turnovers.

“To be honest with you, I thought our kids gave a fabulous effort,” Campanelli said. “To come in here without your leading scorer and rebounder (Matt Beeuwsaert, who is out with an injured foot) and force 25 turnovers helps us end the season on a real positive note and gives us some momentum going into the tournament and for next year.

“It was nip and tuck for 35, 36 minutes and that ends our season on a positive note. . . . Some people want to say wait until next year, but I wanted these kids to compete this year. I think that in doing so, you make yourself better for next year.

“We didn’t want to be an easy kill for anyone.”

The Golden Bears were not an easy kill. Even with Beeuwsaert watching from the bench in street clothes; even with a tremendous size disadvantage that allowed the Bruins to win the rebounding battle, 38-18; even with the lack of experience among the three freshmen and two sophomores who started; the Golden Bears had the game tied, 55-55, with 6:45 to play.

“In the end, UCLA’s athletic ability won out and we couldn’t stop them,” Campanelli said. “The key was (UCLA center) Kelvin Butler’s inside play. We used three guards to try to match UCLA’s quickness, and we ended up not being able to match up inside.”

Cal freshman Roy Fisher, who led the team with 20 points, fouled out in his efforts to help center John Carty in the rough game under the backboards.

There were a lot of elbows flying both ways. But the only technical foul of the day was called on Trevor Wilson for hanging on the rim. If he hung on the rim, it was a quick hang. But it earned him his fifth technical foul of the season.

Wilson, who had committed too many of those turnovers in the early going, came on strong after the technical call that he couldn’t believe, and he finished with a team-high 20 points for the Bruins. He also led the team with seven rebounds.

Butler had 15 points and Kevin Walker came off the bench to add 10, hitting 4 of 6 shots from the field. The two Walker missed were three-point shots.

Bruin guard Pooh Richardson picked up nine assists, but, he says, he expects that of himself. He was not happy that he made just one of seven shots from the field.

Richardson played 33 minutes, but was not a starter because it was a day to honor the seniors in their last appearance at Pauley Pavilion. Senior guard Darryl Morris made his first start in place of Richardson, who is a junior.

Hazzard entertained the notion that maybe the team’s slow start was caused by the change in lineup. Cal did get off to a 7-1 start while Richardson was on the bench.

But that seven-minute stretch couldn’t explain a balky 35 minutes.

So Hazzard took the positive approach, too. “Cal has good, young talent, and they executed well,” he said. “Cal was up to play us, and they played us well. We’ll be sharp for the tournament.”