Bruins Should Have Seen Sign From Above

Was it an omen? With the score tied, 48-48, with 1:53 left, a picture flashed on the RCA Dome scoreboard of former Princeton coach Pete Carril walking off the same court in 1996 after his team’s huge upset win over UCLA.

Bruin Coach Steve Lavin was a Bruin assistant then, and wasn’t ready to compare the heartbreaking tournament losses.

“These are two totally different kinds of experiences,” Lavin said. “This team is so young, for us, this just needs to be a springboard for our future. This is really the first time this team has been together.”

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UCLA hasn’t had much luck in Indianapolis. The Bruins are 3-4 in the Circle City after the loss to Detroit Mercy. UCLA was 1-1 in the 1980 tournament held here, and won two of three games at Butler in the 1950s and 1960s.

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Hello, room service: There wasn’t much offensive punch for schools staying at the nearby Hyatt Regency. Hyatt occupants UCLA and Winthrop combined for only 94 points in NCAA Tournament play on Thursday.

Ah, speaking of 94.

More bad news if the Bruins had thoughts of making a Final Four run next year. The Final Four is in Indianapolis. The Bruins have scored only 94 points in their last two games here (41 versus Princeton in 1996, 53 against Detroit on Thursday).

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Attention, Ohio State: Detroit has won 18 of its last 20 games, and its last eight. In those eight, the Titans have allowed only 54.7 points a game while holding opponents to 34.8% field goal percentage.