Bruins Exorcise Their Demons

UCLA looked different Saturday afternoon. Jason Kapono wore a headband for the first time, just because. Earl Watson briefly wore uniform No. 10 because blood got on his usual jersey, before eventually switching back to No. 25. Matt Barnes finally got to wear any uniform and went through pregame warmups, before a final check revealed his grade in an English class had not been posted and his academic suspension would have to stand for at least one more game.

And then there were the Bruins as a whole. Fresh off looking stale at home against Gonzaga one week and another lifetime ago, they rose up with an inspired effort and a convincing 76-58 victory over DePaul before 10,024 at the same Pauley Pavilion, a showing that should restore a national standing diminished by the debacle of the previous game.

It won’t be such a bad thing close to home, either. DePaul came in No. 19, after all, quickly erasing any doubt that emerged from the Gonzaga game about whether No. 18 UCLA could beat a ranked team. Plus, it came after a difficult week of watching the future of well-liked teammate JaRon Rush twist in the wind. Coach Steve Lavin, savaged by the locals and tweaked-in-twang by a certain coach at Georgia, was a genius again, now able to gloat about a matchup zone defense that limited Blue Demon star Quentin Richardson to eight-of-23 shooting.

Meanwhile Saturday: Marshall 89, Georgia 79.

Hair gel all around!

“I’m not as much proud of the win as much as that we were resilient, that we learned and got better,” Lavin said.

Said Watson: “We sent a message to everyone in the country. Not just UCLA fans complaining. I think those were really SC fans anyway.”

That message?

“This team is for real,” Watson said. “Don’t count us out yet. It’s too early.”

The panic that ensued among the knee-jerk class came with good reason, though, considering the way the Bruins performed against Gonzaga, or, rather, didn’t perform. Given another week to prepare for DePaul and its lottery-pick-in-waiting, Richardson, and given the added benefit of the Blue Demons not getting to Los Angeles until 10:30 the night before because of flight delays in Chicago, UCLA didn’t waste the chance.

It was close only until early in the second half, when DePaul held a 30-28 lead. From there, the Bruins went on a 16-0 charge, extending it to 19-1 and, eventually, 23-3. It was worth a sudden 51-33 cushion.

It also was worth praise. The Bruins (4-1) scored on nine consecutive possessions in a stretch that started just before the mega-run. They got inside play from Dan Gadzuric (14 rebounds, tying a career high) and three three-pointers from Kapono in that span alone, part of his team-high 20 points.

“It was so amazing how open Jason was,” Watson said. “It was, just give him the ball.”

DePaul, meanwhile, had one stretch of 13 shots and two makes, with Gadzuric clearing the boards to ensure few second opportunities. The Blue Demons went 4:25 without a point. They went 7:18 without a field goal. Richardson, the All-American candidate as a sophomore, had 22 points and 15 rebounds, both game highs, but did little damage when there was a game.

“We had seven assists and 21 turnovers,” Blue Demon Coach Pat Kennedy said. “We weren’t just missing shots. We needed people to step up, and we didn’t [get it]. We credit UCLA on some great runs in the second half.”

One was all it took for the Bruins to turn the game into a rout. Their lead reached 19 on several occasions, before they ignored clock management and started jacking up shots late in the game. It helped DePaul (7-3) cut the deficit to 10, though with only 58 seconds remaining, and prompted UCLA fans to boo when Watson threw up an ill-advised three-pointer with about 1:25 left in the game and plenty of time on the shot clock.

But the Bruins survived the Blue Demons’ mini-run and the difficult week. They established themselves with a win over a credible opponent, and reestablished the good feelings that had evaporated in the messes related to Gonzaga and Rush.

“We needed it a lot,” Kapono said. “We all weren’t down on ourselves, but it was an ill feeling. It feels to have the crowd boo you.

“We’re all feeling better. Now, we’re off to Hawaii. And that’s an even better feeling.”

The departure for Honolulu and the Pearl Harbor Classic, to begin Tuesday, is today. Saturday was for leaving a lot of their troubles behind.