UCLA Gets All It Can Handle

UCLA got dragged into the cross hairs Monday night, got sized up, figured out and about as close to knocked out as anybody wearing white and blue wanted to imagine.

In a gasping, grasping test, against a less-than-heralded but unintimidated Boise State squad, the Bruins survived many self-inflicted wounds to squeeze out an 81-75 victory before 8,500 at Pauley Pavilion.

It took a towering, 15-rebound, 22-point performance by J.R. Henderson, several late but great improvisational moments by Baron Davis and the ability for the five UCLA starters to simply breathe deep, forget their exhaustion and outlast the passion and precision of the Broncos.

Help is on the way for UCLA, which announced that suspended center Jelani McCoy will be fully reinstated in time for the Bruins’ Dec. 30 game at Pauley Pavilion against Illinois.

And, judging by Monday’s statistical sheet and by the sagging shoulders of the Bruin starters about 35 minutes into this scramble, he is needed.

In their third game in five days, the Bruins got no points from their bench; Boise State got 33. All five of UCLA’s starters played at least 34 minutes; Boise State had three reserves who played 24 minutes or more.

Swingman Kris Johnson also had 22, Toby Bailey had 21 and Davis scored 14 crucial points, adding seven rebounds. Could all the minutes being registered by the Bruin starting five be resulting in the 24 Bruin turnovers Monday and the 11 more missed free throws?

“I think we were maybe thinking too much about Christmas break,” said Coach Steve Lavin, whose players get three days off before reassembling again. “Half the guys’ minds were probably at LAX or drinking eggnog in front of the fireplace.

“I take the blame for that. That’s what the coaching staff has to make sure--you have to be ready to play.”

No. 9 UCLA plays at Nevada Las Vegas on Saturday, but this clearly will be a different team when the 6-foot-10 McCoy is back playing significant minutes.

Henderson, who played 37 minutes and was hacked and harried by a Bronco defense mandated to foul him if it had to, has made it clear his mind is on having McCoy back in the lineup.

Said McCoy: “I’ve told J.R. that I take responsibility for his bumps and bruises. And he lets me know about it. It’s just good to know that I’ll be back and trying to help this team get to a national championship.”

Monday, for the first time since the Bruins were decimated by North Carolina to open the season, UCLA faced a team that was neither intimidated nor careless with the ball.

Boise State (6-3), which lost to Pepperdine on Saturday, 65-61, kept things under control offensively, strangled the Bruin offense by denying Henderson the ball and Bailey a free path to the basket. Also the Broncos’ perimeter pressure made the Bruins anxious and looking like the impatient team of last season.

And Boise State wouldn’t fold. Unlike the Bruins’ three previous opponents, Bronco guards Gerry Washington and Mike Hagman kept cool under the pressure of Davis and Earl Watson, and with some hot shooting, Boise State led UCLA at halftime, 42-41.

After the Bruins (7-1) went ahead, 47-46, on a Bailey slam a couple of minutes into the second half, the Bruins hit a wall, turning the ball over three straight times, and getting outscored over the next six minutes, 10-4.

But the frenetic play began to pile up fouls on the best Bronco players--exactly what happened to Saint Louis on Saturday.

Roberto Bergersen, Boise State’s most athletic player, fouled out with 8:55 left in the game and UCLA trailing, 60-56. And Washington and center Kenny Van Kirk were both in foul trouble for most of the second half.

The Bruins went ahead with 8:18 left in the game, 61-60, on a flying, floating triple-pump lay-up by Davis, who also was fouled on the play. Though the Broncos came right back with a score, UCLA got seven quick points from Johnson in the next few minutes and never trailed again.