With Start, Farnham Lives His Dream

Sean Farnham greeted his first career start with unbridled excitement and as a surprise to family members from Northern California in attendance Saturday night against Arizona.

“This is why I came to UCLA,” said Farnham, who was told Thursday by Coach Steve Lavin that he would be in the opening lineup but kept the big news secret from his parents, sister and girlfriend in the stands. “This is the ‘Hoosiers’ video, the ‘Rudy’ story. Everything. This is my dream. And to get that dream, I’d like to thank Coach Lavin.

“It was amazing. To hear my name called over the loudspeaker and the Pauley Pavilion crowd cheering, my adrenaline was rising. And then to score that basket [a layin with the game about a minute old] was great.

“After I scored that basket, they could have scraped me off the roof of Pauley. I was up there with the championship banners.”

Farnham, who got the start when Jerome Moiso and Dan Gadzuric were benched, played seven minutes in the 82-75 victory over Arizona.

TONIGHT

vs. Arizona State

7:30, Fox Sports West 2

* Site--Pauley Pavilion.

* Radio--KXTA (1150).

* Records--Bruins 9-2, Sun Devils 8-5.

* Update--Matt Barnes, sidelined the previous game because of a sprained ankle and knee, returned against Arizona and played six minutes. Arizona State had won six in a row, its longest streak since 1994-95, before losing to USC on Saturday.