Trip Home Allows Hines to Catch Up

There was no point in trying to hide it.

“C’mon,” Rico Hines said. “This definitely was not just another game.”

The weekend back home in North Carolina turned out to be everything Hines had hoped, bringing the chance for his entire team to meet his family for a dinner and for UCLA to beat the school he originally had wanted to attend.

Bruins 71, Tar Heels 68, Hines 1.

“I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t want to come in here and beat Carolina,” the junior swingman said.

It happened with Hines returning to the opening lineup for the first time since Dec. 11, the fourth game, and then contributing six points, four rebounds and three steals in 26 minutes. Ray Young, his predecessor at shooting guard, was dropped as a starter and then almost out of sight, playing only six minutes.

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Even after splitting last week, losing to unranked USC and winning at No. 13 North Carolina, the Bruin returned to the Associated Press top 25, at No. 25. The Tar Heels, who had lost to Wake Forest three days before the UCLA defeat, dropped to No. 21. . . . So much for an impressive defensive run. After holding three consecutive opponents to less than 40% shooting and a fourth to 41.5%, the Bruins gave up 49.3% to USC and 49.1% to North Carolina.