Bruins’ Win Is a Gift of Gad

The opponent is projected to bring up the rear in the Pacific 10, but this victory was no small step for UCLA.

In fact, it was as large as one of 6-foot-11 Dan Gadzuric’s gargantuan strides.

It was a step the Bruins hadn’t taken in five years, winning at Washington. And it was taken, by an 85-79 score Thursday night in a conference opener at Bank of America Arena, primarily because of the senior center.

Gadzuric had been a sleeping giant, averaging only 6.1 points in the first seven games, but there was no sleeping in Seattle. He had a career-high 23 points, making eight of 12 shots, including four dunks.

For a player who had missed five dunks this season and was shooting only 44.7% despite nearly all his shots coming inside five feet, it was quite a turnaround.

“He came to life,” Coach Steve Lavin said.

Gadzuric also had 13 rebounds, took a charge and made several sharp passes that led to baskets. He even made five of eight free throws.

What got into him? Maybe it was stopping UC Irvine’s Jerry Green on a last-second shot to preserve a UCLA victory last Saturday.

Maybe it was just time to wake up.

“I just went with a real defensive mind-set,” Gadzuric said. “I figured if I focused on defense, my offense would come.”

No. 19 UCLA (6-2) overcame a 37-30 halftime deficit and avoided the last-second heartbreak that had marked three of its four consecutive losses here by making free throws down the stretch.

The lack of a point guard caused some shaky moments and most of UCLA’s 15 turnovers were the result of poor passes, but baskets by Gadzuric and Jason Kapono in the waning moments prompted many in the crowd of 7,215 to head for the exits.

The point guard situation should improve soon. Cedric Bozeman will possibly return next week, certainly by the time Washington (6-4) visits UCLA on Jan. 4. The freshman has missed four games--all UCLA victories--since undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery.

Kapono started at the point, but did not keep up his blistering shooting pace of the last several games. However, he scored 14 of his 19 points in the second half and made two three-point baskets down the stretch.

Billy Knight scored 19 and made four free throws and a layup in the last two minutes. Matt Barnes added 12 points on four-of-six shooting after sitting out the last game with a sprained ankle. And T.J. Cummings had 10 points.

But the key throughout was Gadzuric, whose aggressive play caused both Washington centers, David Dixon and Jeffrey Day, to foul out. His dunk with 10 minutes left extended a two-point UCLA lead, his dunk with seven minutes left extended a seven-point lead, and his dunk with 2:44 all but put the game away, 75-64.

“I’m a big guy and I have to go big in the paint and draw fouls,” he said. “Once a shot or two went in, I just went with the flow.”

Washington was led by Doug Wrenn, a sophomore transfer from Connecticut who did not start for disciplinary reasons but finished with 23 points and seven rebounds. Wrenn, who talked trash throughout the game, saluted Gadzuric afterward.

“He’s an NBA player,” Wrenn said.

Early on, it appeared the Huskies would withstand anything Gadzuric or his teammates could bring.

The Washington lead grew to nine on Wrenn’s basket seconds into the second half, but UCLA answered with 13 of the next 15 points to lead, 43-41. The Bruins went on another run midway through the half and took their biggest lead to that point, 64-55, on a three-point basket by Kapono with 7:35 to play.

“At halftime I told the team they looked like they’d never played a road game,” Lavin said. “We made some pretty poor passes and had to settle down.”

Poor ballhandling plagued the Bruins in the first half. After UCLA pulled to within one point on two free throws by Gadzuric with 3:49 left in the half, Washington stole three passes to fuel an eight-point run.

Guard Curtis Allen snapped up a poor pass by Ryan Walcott and raced down the floor for a layup. Kapono turned it over next, leading to a Wrenn putback.

Then Allen picked off a pass by Rico Hines and scored with a minute left. A 15-foot jump shot at the buzzer by Dijon Thompson pulled UCLA within seven.

But the Bruins shot 58% in the second half, burying the memories of those four consecutive losses here.

“I’ve never won here before,” Barnes said. “It feels good. And I feel good for Dan too. I think he’ll play this way the rest of the season.”