Kapono Likes the Big Shots

That may not have been the future on display Thursday night at Pauley Pavilion when freshman Jason Kapono took the last shot with the game on the line. More like the present.

Ten games into his college career, Kapono has emerged as a go-to guy, having had the fate of the team in his hands twice in the last four outings.

His baseline three-pointer Dec. 22 against Colorado State in the semifinals of the Pearl Harbor Classic bounced off the rim, leaving UCLA with a 55-54 defeat. But two days ago at home against Purdue, Kapono took the ball at the far baseline after a timeout, dribbled down the left sideline, cut to the middle and drove the lane to deliver the winning basket with 1.1 seconds remaining, worth a 55-53 victory,

“Kapono is a player who steps up and makes big plays,” Coach Steve Lavin said. “He’s done it all career, in high school and here. He has great poise under pressure and makes good decisions.”

Said Kapono, who also had a game-high 19 points against the Boilermakers, “I’m not scared of those shots. I don’t mind. I came out tonight and I finally made one. It feels a lot better than Colorado State.

“It’s just kind of built into a player. Some guys, I don’t want to say they’re scared, but they’re hesitant. They’re scared to lose. They don’t want to take the blame. I’m pretty confident about it myself.”

Kapono’s winning shot Thursday was the second in less than a year off that formation. The Bruins used a similar play--spread the floor, have someone dribble the length of the court, make defenders decide whether to leave their man to stop the ball--to beat Oregon last Feb. 4. Baron Davis was the hero that night with a 15-footer at the buzzer.

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Matt Barnes had his best showing in the five games since returning from academic suspension, getting 10 points and six rebounds in 28 minutes against Purdue.

“I’m back in shape,” he said. “My shots are not really falling, but I can still rebound and run.”

It’s not as if his shooting is a problem. Barnes is at 48% after making four of eight Thursday.