Overtime Victory Is Psyche Job for Bruins

And if you thought losing to Colorado State was bad. . . .

UCLA pushed the limits of its existence again Thursday afternoon, going from defeat the night before to a struggle against more anonymous South Florida team and getting an even closer look at the abyss. This close:

The Bruins got two field goals in the final 6:55 of regulation, then needed to go into the final minute of overtime before finally dispensing with South Florida, 103-98, before about 250 at the Cannon Activities Center to escape with third place in the underwhelming field at the Pearl Harbor Classic.

This close:

“Emotionally,” Bruin guard Earl Watson said, “this was the type of loss that could have ended our season.”

“If we had lost today,” forward Jerome Moiso added, “I would not have played anymore.”

Not that there was much riding on the outcome or anything.

The stakes grew so dramatically because a second defeat in 21 hours against an unranked opponent, albeit an opponent with talent in the frontcourt, would have meant anything from emotional implosion to a fan meltdown that at the least would have prompted a fallout to make the post-Gonzaga days seem like mild disappointment. And they call this paradise.

“Oh, sure,” UCLA Coach Steve Lavin conceded. “As a coach, you’re always most concerned with the spirit and confidence of your team.”

Or lack thereof.

No. 18 UCLA (6-2) was staring at the very real possibility of a third loss in four games, not to mention the emotional drain that also came during that time with the suspension of popular teammate JaRon Rush. The Bruins needed a 10-0 run merely to build an 81-72 advantage with 6:21 remaining in the second half, then lost that, trailing, 84-83, with 1:48 remaining. They couldn’t make any defensive stops, and had four turnovers in seven possessions.

Artha Reeves’ free throw with 43 seconds left gave South Florida an 85-85 tie. Watson made the first of his two critical three-point shots, this time from straightaway with 17 seconds remaining to put UCLA ahead, but the Bulls responded again. B.B. Waldon, a lanky sophomore who had a game-high 23 points a night after another impressive forward, Ceedric Goodwyn, hit the Bruins for 18, connected on his own three-pointer with 6.9 seconds remaining.

Overtime, against a team that came in 5-3 and had held only one of its opponents to fewer than 65 points. Against a team with zero name recognition among the fans who would roast the Bruins for a loss, beyond that South Florida’s coach is Seth Greenberg, in his fourth season there after the previous six at Cal State Long Beach.

Two UCLA starters, Ray Young and Dan Gadzuric, already had fouled out. Aware of what it was up against--fallout in Bruin circles; oh, and South Florida, too--UCLA scored on its first three trips in the five-minute extra period. The biggest, of that span and of the game, was the second straightaway three-pointer from Watson, this one with two seconds left on the shot clock.

“I didn’t even see the rim,” Watson said after scoring a season-high 20 points. “That guy [a South Florida defender] jumped so high before I even caught the ball. I just shot it.”

He shot it when the unknown Bull was coming down, one of the two ways it became at least a well-timed heave. The other was that it gave the Bruins a 94-91 cushion with 3:15 remaining and the lead for good.

“[Watson] hit some big-time shots,” said Bruin freshman Jason Kapono, who had 17 points and seven rebounds. “He totally stepped up. That’s why he’s on cloud nine. He was the man tonight.”

Moiso wasn’t far behind. The long jumper turned out to be Watson’s final points, but Moiso ensured the Bruins would stay ahead with two great post moves, both from the left side, both putting his obvious skills in display. A spin to the baseline for a dunk and, two possessions later, a silky, fall-away 14-footer.

It was all the more noteworthy that they came after Gadzuric had fouled out, meaning Moiso had to assert himself as the inside threat on offense. On top of that, Kapono also had fouled out, with 1:09 left in overtime, so the Bruins were down another scoring weapon and three starters in all by the end.

Luckily for them, that end came soon after, before any more Bruins could be disqualified or South Florida could scrap back. Moiso’s jumper made it 101-96 with 43 seconds to go and sealed the win, turning back the Bulls and the critics at the same time.

Bruin Notes

Colorado State, which defeated UCLA, 55-54, on Wednesday night, won the tournament championship with a 61-57 victory over San Jose State.