Fan Behavior Disappoints

Bruin players expressed dismay and disappointment at the behavior of some fans near the end of Saturday’s 72-59 loss to Stanford at Pauley Pavilion.

The game was called with 0.7 seconds remaining after several objects were hurled from the stands as Baron Davis of UCLA and Arthur Lee of Stanford exchanged words along the sideline near the student section.

One was a cup still filled with liquid that splashed on the court, but another could have done much more damage if it struck something other than hardwood. The hard, clear object--possibly ice, possibly a small piece of plastic--shattered on impact.

Security rushed to the area. But referees quickly halted the game, prompting many of the officers to move to protect the referees from fans who were upset that UCLA was called for 16 more fouls than Stanford.

“For 38 minutes, the crowd was great,” Bruin forward Matt Barnes said. “It was the best crowd of the year. But what happened at the end, that was just uncalled for.”

The crowd in those final two minutes, just as the Cardinal started to pull away, caught the attention of players for other reasons as well.

“I was disappointed when they walked out,” guard Earl Watson said. “I have respect for our fans, but I’ve never seen anything like that. I’m from Kansas, and I guess I’m used to KU fans.”

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Rico Hines underwent minor surgery to have a pin placed in his right foot that should help his fracture heal. He remains on the original timetable for a return, meaning another three to five weeks.