EXHIBITION BASKETBALL : UCLA Has to Rally Past Athletes in Action, 95-94

With the Athletes in Action team taking full advantage of UCLA’s defensive lapses, the Bruins needed two free throws with six seconds left to pull off a come-from-behind victory, 95-94, in an exhibition at Pauley Pavilion Tuesday night.

UCLA opens its regular season Saturday against Cal State Northridge, and Coach Jim Harrick was not pleased with his sixth-ranked team’s final dress rehearsal.

AIA, a group of traveling former college and professional players that included Shon Tarver, a Bruin starter last season, had gone winless in nine previous games against college teams this year. Against UCLA, AIA made 10 of 24 three-point shots and had a three-point lead with 3:16 to play.

Ed O’Bannon, who made five of 13 shots from the floor, was fouled on UCLA’s final possession, and made the two free throws to give the Bruins the victory. But the man he defended in the game, Robert Sewell, led all scorers with 24 points.

“We’re just not a very good basketball team right now,” Harrick said. “Our defense is suspect. . . . Ed and Charles (O’Bannon) and Tyus (Edney) are really not playing the kind of basketball we need them to play.”

A bright spot for UCLA was the play of freshmen Kris Johnson, who led the team with 18 points, Toby Bailey, who made three of four three-point shots, and J.R. Henderson, who scored 11 points.