Everything Clicks for UCLA, 79-57

The game clock read four minutes and everything was right and proper at the John Wooden Classic.

The legendary 91-year-old former UCLA coach had just polished off some ice cream. A short vignette of his life was shown on the video screen above the court at the Arrowhead Pond. The crowd of 16,221 stood and cheered.

And, best of all, the Bruins held a commanding lead over Alabama.

When the buzzer sounded and UCLA’s 79-57 victory was in the books Saturday, Wooden was escorted to the floor for the trophy ceremony. He was asked if he was pleased UCLA had won.

“That’s the way it’s supposed to be,” he said.

Yet it wasn’t necessarily expected. Not after the Bruins’ last two games, a loss to Pepperdine and sluggish victory over winless UC Riverside.

But under Coach Steve Lavin, it’s always smart to expect the unexpected.

The defense that has allowed points like water through a colander? Shipshape. The No. 20 Bruins abandoned their full-court press, went to a matchup zone and held No. 16 Alabama to 29.7% shooting.

The rudderless offense that has rivaled Santa Claus in giveaways? Purposeful. UCLA turned the ball over only nine times, notched 17 assists and had four players score at least 11 points.

Against a team coached by former UCLA assistant Mark Gottfried, Lavin’s squad was disciplined, unselfish and fundamentally sound.

Just the way Wooden likes it.

“This was big for us,” guard Jason Kapono said. “We never get down on each other during tough times. It’s a trait of this team, to fight through it.”

Indeed, UCLA (4-2) came out battling. The first hint came when Kapono and Rico Hines dived to the floor after a loose ball in the first minute.

The next came after Alabama (6-2) bounced back from a six-minute scoring drought to take its last lead, 20-19, with 9:12 left in the first half. Bruin freshman Dijon Thompson put back a miss by Dan Gadzuric, Andre Patterson--another freshman--dunked and Matt Barnes made a three-point shot in a span of 1:47.

UCLA closed out the half with a 21-5 run and shut out Alabama on its last six possessions for a 40-25 lead. The Crimson Tide missed its last 10 shots.

“We were pathetic, but a lot of that had to do with them,” Gottfried said.

The Bruin zone forced three-point shots, but Alabama made only three of 16 in the first half and three of 17 in the second.

Meanwhile, UCLA worked the ball inside. Barnes, the power forward, scored a season-high 15 points and had eight rebounds. Gadzuric, the center, had 11 points and nine rebounds and reserve center T.J. Cummings had eight points and five rebounds.

Kapono was the key, however. He appeared far more comfortable at point guard than he had against Riverside, controlling the tempo, turning the ball over only once, passing for five assists and taking eight rebounds.

And his scoring didn’t suffer. He was the Bruins’ leading scorer for the fourth time with 22 points.

Thompson and redshirt freshman Ryan Walcott also played well at the point, and the trio of replacements for the injured Cedric Bozeman combined for 12 assists.

“I came in trying to get my teammates [involved], trying to be more of a passer,” Kapono said. “Dijon and Ryan did the same thing. It’s been kind of rocky, but we’re getting more comfortable.”

Hines, a senior guard who redshirted last season, scored his first points after 95 minutes and 14 misses.

With 16:32 to play, he used a spin move along the baseline, knocked away his defender with a thrust of the hip and found himself looking at the basket.

Lo and behold, the ball went in to make the score 48-32.

It was the kind of day the Bruins needed to prepare for Pacific 10 Conference play, which is right around the corner.

“I put the team in a position to fail by pressing earlier,” Lavin said. “I got a failing grade for the month of November for the fifth year in a row. The matchup zone is our best base defense and today it set up the offense.”