Erratic Bruins Heel Wounds

And then there’s this UCLA.

Looking nothing like the heartless bunch that lost to USC, or the defensive sieve that surrendered at Washington, or the disorganized troop that rolled over against Gonzaga--talk about backing into a compliment--the Bruins made a stand Saturday afternoon in the name of pride. Right on North Carolina’s throat.

The 71-68 nonconference victory over the 13th-ranked Tar Heels before a capacity crowd of 21,572 at the Smith Center answered the critics, even if it also begged the answer to the question of why this isn’t possible on a regular basis.

UCLA played inspired, especially at the outset, needing only eight minutes to break to a 12-point lead. The Tar Heels rallied to tie once, but the Bruins never trailed.

UCLA played tough inside, getting 11 rebounds from Jerome Moiso and 10 from Dan Gadzuric and pounding the interior on offense.

UCLA, last in the Pacific 10 Conference in free-throw percentage, got a major boost from the line, two shaky free throws from Ryan Bailey with 14.9 seconds left to secure the victory.

Talk about your surreal days. Afterward, reporters peppered North Carolina Coach Bill Guthridge about why his team has struggled to play with intensity in consecutive losses to unranked teams, Wake Forest on Wednesday and now the Bruins, and fans leaving the Smith Center wondered why the Tar Heels couldn’t execute on offense like UCLA.

And then the Bruins stepped into the time machine and returned to Los Angeles.

“I think we took a baby step,” Coach Steve Lavin said. “We got a little bit better. That’s what today was about.”

Said Earl Watson, who missed 11 of 14 shots but had six assists, two steals and only two turnovers: “It means we have a long way to go, but we’re moving in the right direction. We were better than the last game.”

That would have been Wednesday night’s 12-point loss at USC, a defeat that threatened to rock the Bruin foundation more than any talk show or letter to the editor ever could. Or as freshman forward Jason Kapono noted after the North Carolina game, when it seemed OK to note concern since it has passed, “Maybe we started questioning ourselves.”

It probably wasn’t much comfort that everyone else was questioning UCLA too. The Bruins had lost three of seven games--and one of the victories came in overtime and another would have at least gone to overtime if not for a last-second missed call--and the Trojan game came with a lack of energy that should have been a greater concern than any lack of execution. Not only that, but two ranked teams were ahead, the Tar Heels and then No. 2 Arizona at Pauley Pavilion on Thursday in the resumption of Pac-10 play.

So what happens Saturday?

Bruins, 24-12.

North Carolina rallied and trailed by only a point at halftime, and Kapono would get his fourth foul with 15:53 remaining and play only 22 minutes. But UCLA surged again, this time twice going ahead by 11, the final instance with 8:59 remaining. And then North Carolina answered again, closing to 66-63 with a minute left.

The close finishes, after an easy victory at Washington State and the convincing loss to USC at the Sports Arena, had returned. Watson missed a reverse layup in traffic, but Gadzuric’s tip made it 68-63 with 51 seconds to play, part of a stretch in which nine consecutive Bruin baskets came from six feet or closer.

North Carolina started to foul intentionally. Good move--the Bruins began the game only 59.1% from the line. Watson, himself only 65.7%, went first and made one of two. The Tar Heels capitalized, getting a three-point basket from Ed Cota and, after a UCLA turnover, two free throws from Jason Capel with 22 seconds remaining.

The lead was 69-68. The Bruins were tempting a new kind of disaster, going from playing poorly the entire game against USC to losing an 11-point cushion with 8 1/2 minutes remaining and a six-point edge with 39 seconds left. Bailey, five of eight at the line for the season and 58.3% in 1998-99, was fouled intentionally with 14.9 to play.

He made the first, banking it in.

“After that,” Watson said, “no way we were going to lose.”

He made the second, after it hit the heel of the rim.

“He missed those free throws so far, he made them,” Guthridge said.

Must have been the Bruins’ day, what with the nice finish and all. The one they hope will make for a new start.