Saving Best for Lost

There was an emotional overflow Saturday, too many goodbyes to say and draining moments to review and contrasting moods to calibrate.

Even Pauley Pavilion, jammed with noise and hope, didn’t seem big enough for it all.

Inflamed by a sense of desperation and the need to properly bid three seniors farewell, UCLA lifted itself to a higher place in its final regular-season game but still ended up losing to No. 2-ranked Arizona, 91-87, before 12,799.

In the final home game for Toby Bailey, J.R. Henderson and Kris Johnson, the 19th-ranked Bruins held up for 36 rampaging minutes and outplayed the Wildcats.

Then, in what may be taken as either metaphor or epitaph, the Bruins finally hit the wall and Arizona outscored UCLA, 14-4, over the last 3:30, propelling the Wildcats to victory and an almost-guaranteed No. 1 seeding in the West Regional when the NCAA tournament brackets are announced this afternoon.

UCLA’s tournament status--both emotional and literal--is far less certain.

Can the Bruins (22-8, 12-6 in Pacific 10 Conference), who have endured so many problems and so many spiritless performances this season, avoid the potential pitfalls of losing such an emotional game so close to tournament time?

“If we dwell on this, the first round, we’re out of here, period,” said Johnson, who led UCLA with 24 points, and set up freshman Baron Davis for a potential game-tying three-point shot with seven seconds left that popped out and ended UCLA’s hopes.

“Sure, it’s sad to lose your last game at home. That wasn’t something we wanted to do. But we saw tonight how good we can be. We had the intensity on defense, we just had the fire. I haven’t seen us play like that this season.”

Nobody has seen the Bruins play like that, at least not since the end of last season, when UCLA reached the Midwest Regional final.

On Saturday, after the Senior Day celebrations, Bailey and Davis jolted UCLA to life with overpowering defense and quick baskets, Johnson picked it up in the second half, and the Bruins bounced to a lead they would not surrender until only 1:38 remained in the game.

Arizona senior Michael Dickerson dominated the final minutes, driving to the basket and making three huge, hanging shots to revive the Wildcats, who lost to USC on Thursday but played far better Saturday.

Dickerson led all scorers with 30 points, on 11-of-17 shooting.

After Dickerson put Arizona (27-4, 17-1) ahead to stay, 88-87, with 1:07 left, Davis’ flying, go-ahead layup was wiped away when he was whistled for charging into A.J. Bramlett with 49 seconds remaining.

In the locker room afterward, the normally buoyant Davis fought back tears, telling the seniors that he fervently wanted them leave Pauley as winners.

But the seniors, who won the national title in 1995, lost a coach 19 months later and shot-blocking center Jelani McCoy last month, were the ones who appeared least devastated by the defeat.

“I’m very happy with my career here,” said Henderson, who was double-teamed throughout the game and took only seven shots on his way to 15 points. “Just because we lost the last home game doesn’t mean we had a terrible career here.

“We played an excellent game. I think it was our best ball of the year. That’s perfect for the tournament.”

UCLA heads into the NCAA tournament having lost five of its last 10 regular-season games, with a 1-6 record against ranked opponents, and looking to a possible No. 5 or 6 seeding.

But the Bruins also have played three sharp games to close the regular schedule, and saved their best effort for their last loss.

“I told the guys before the game that as long as they played with effort, as long as they played with intensity, I’m going to leave here proud of what I accomplished,” said Bailey, who scored 22 points, 17 in the first half. “I’m proud of the guys. I couldn’t ask for a stronger effort.”

Said Coach Steve Lavin: “It is extremely disappointing. There’s no positive spin you can put on a tough loss like this. But, like I told the team, if we keep competing like this, we can have some fun in the NCAA tournament.”

Bailey and Henderson agreed that Arizona’s superior depth--no Wildcat played more than Miles Simon’s 33 minutes--wore UCLA down. Bailey and Johnson played all 40 minutes, and Davis played all 20 of the second half.

Playing with energy and efficiency, UCLA led by as much as 15 points in the first half, and went into halftime ahead, 49-41.

But the Bruins, after shooting 54.5% in the first period, made only 13 of their 34 shots (38.2%) in the second, and made several crucial errors in the final stretch.

Arizona, meanwhile, made 21 of 35 shots in the second half.

“I think we just got tired,” Bailey said. “We were giving it all, but . . . Hopefully, in the tournament, we can get a little more rest for our starters so we can be a little fresher.”

Said Johnson: “I’m sad, but now we’ve just got to get on a tournament run. Nobody will remember we lost this game if we come home with a ring.”