Hand Injuries Sideline UCLA Guard Dollar : College basketball: Bruin starter could sit out all of December because of ligament tear, chipped bone.

Cameron Dollar, UCLA’s struggling junior point guard, probably will be held out of Saturday’s game against Maryland--and possibly the rest of December--in order to allow his injured hands to heal for conference play in January.

Dollar hurt his right hand near the pinky Nov. 8 in an intrasquad game and has played despite later tests that revealed a ligament tear.

Then, early in the second half against Kansas on Saturday, Dollar suffered a chipped bone and dislocation of his left pinky.

Counted on to lead the team after the departure of Tyus Edney, Dollar has made only four of 21 shots from the field (19%) and has committed 18 turnovers against only 27 assists.

Without a steadying hand, UCLA has limped to a 2-3 start and looked edgy and awkward on offense.

“It’s one of those things where one side of your brain wants to just keep on playing, and the other side has to kind of look at the big picture,” Dollar said Tuesday after Coach Jim Harrick announced that Dollar wouldn’t participate in full-speed practice for the next few weeks.

“I think both of us for a little while didn’t want to look at the big picture. It’s unusual for me, because usually I can just play through it or whatever.

“But this injury hits to the source of my game, so to speak. My hands hold a lot of my quickness, my ballhandling, my penetration, my shooting, my passing. . . . That’s my game. When those things have been hindered, my game has been hindered.”

Dollar says he has been told he will suit up for Maryland, but play only on an “if-needed” basis, and will probably also sit out UCLA’s next game, Dec. 18, against Stephen F. Austin at Pauley Pavilion.

His status for UCLA’s games Dec. 20 and 23 at Notre Dame and Nevada Las Vegas will be determined after the rest.

Harrick said that off-guard Toby Bailey and forwards J.R. Henderson, Kris Johnson and Kevin Dempsey will get more ballhandling duties. Johnson will probably move into the starting lineup if Dollar is out.

“You ever try to write with boxing gloves? That’s what I’ve asked Cameron Dollar to do,” Harrick said. “Play with boxing gloves on. And it’s probably been my fault more than any.”

“I should have [sat him down] a long time ago. Maybe not play him [at Kansas].”