O’Bannon Sits Half; UCLA Duked Out

This was one that couldn’t be saved by flying forwards or late-game weirdness, couldn’t be written off to early-season awkwardness or injuries or a superstar opponent.

Amid a raucous, steam-heated Cameron Indoor Stadium audience of 9,314, against a slashing, smashing squad of Duke Blue Devils playing for their postseason lives, UCLA met its match Sunday.

With Duke guard Chris Collins driving at will and spotting up for four three-point baskets and 27 points, the 16th-ranked Bruins got dropped, 85-66, and, finishing their regular-season nonconference record at 7-5 (they fell to 19-7 overall), ended thoughts of returning to the NCAA tournament as a national power.

And, in the clearest signal yet that this is still an immature team, junior forward Charles O’Bannon was benched for the first 24 minutes of the game for an unspecified, but admitted, transgression.

UCLA Coach Jim Harrick, O’Bannon and members of the Bruin team would not elaborate on the infraction--other than to say it had nothing to do with his on-court play--but Harrick said he was disappointed by the situation.

“Yes, a little bit,” Harrick said. “But life’s full of learning experiences, and we’ll be better for it. . . . [The decision to bench O’Bannon was] very, very difficult. Just something I needed to do.”

Harrick said he made the decision to bench O’Bannon on the bus ride from the hotel to the arena, and O’Bannon and his teammates said they didn’t know he’d be benched until minutes before tip-off.

“I was ready to accept whatever he wanted to do,” said O’Bannon, who made the game-winning shot with four-tenths of a second left against USC on Thursday, his 21st birthday. “I’m very disappointed in not playing. It was my fault for that. I accept the decision, and it’s over. Now we move on.”

O’Bannon, who entered the game with 16:05 left and UCLA trailing, 44-35, said he was told by Harrick not to discuss the details of the problem.

“Everyone’s going to make assumptions,” O’Bannon said. “As long as the team stays together, stays on the same page as the coach, we’ll be fine.”

On the heels of last year’s dream ride (and with George Zidek, one of last season’s three senior leaders, watching from the stands), Sunday’s disciplinary move is the latest, and probably most serious, in a season full of bumps and wild play for UCLA.

“I thought it’d be one of the hardest years I’ve ever had, and it’s been quite interesting,” Harrick said. “But we’re 12-2 in the conference, and that’s the most important thing.”

That’s the exact message Harrick gave to his starters as they stewed on the bench in the game’s final moments--forget about this game, go home, wrap up the Pac-10 championship.

Looking for perspective, the UCLA players pointed to Duke’s 100 victories in its last 101 home games against non-Atlantic Coast Conference opponents. And the Bruins could also shrug and say the game was meaningless in Pac-10 standings.

“I’m sick of hearing that,” forward J.R. Henderson said. “I would like to win just one of these nonconference games.”

For Duke, the game probably guarantees an NCAA tournament berth--after failing to make last year’s tournament for the first time in 12 years. And the crowd, festive in the most normal of games, was off the intensity charts Sunday.

“Cameron was a special place this afternoon,” Blue Devil Coach Mike Krzyzewski said.

The Bruins got ambushed early by Duke’s aggressive attacks at the offensive glass--Blue Devil big men Taymon Domzalski and Greg Newton combined for 11 offensive rebounds on the day.

The Bruins were down by as many as 16 points in the first half as Duke pushed UCLA around underneath and torched UCLA from the perimeter. At halftime, the Blue Devils (17-10) led, 41-29.

Meanwhile, UCLA guard Toby Bailey continued his shooting slump--he was only three for 11 Sunday, and has made only 23 of his last 75 shots (30.6%) over a seven-game span.

“I’m not playing like I should be playing,” said Bailey, who agreed that he was forcing some shots. “I’d rather force something and hopefully do something good than just run out there and be a non-factor.”

With O’Bannon riding the bench, Bailey slumping, and Henderson having a rare off game, the scoring load fell to Kris Johnson, who followed his 17-point performance Thursday with 21 against Duke.

UCLA closed to within five, 62-57, with 5:54 left to play, but Collins began an 11-3 run with a 27-foot three-point shot.

The Bruins can clinch the Pacific 10 title by winning three of their four final games, but Sunday was the end of any chance at a high seeding in the West Regional.

UCLA is only 1-4 against nonconference opponents likely to get a tournament berth, and, counting its 4-2 record against conference teams likely to be invited, has only a 5-6 record against top opposition.

“It’s not worrying me at all,” guard Cameron Dollar said. “I think at tournament time, we’re going to be ready to step up and play.”