UCLA Is Main Player in This Horror Movie

Plucky team from Indiana knocks off giants in a tiny, packed gym. The movie already has been made, but this could be an appealing sequel: “Hoosiers in Paradise.”

A day after beating No. 4 Kansas, Ball State pummeled No. 3 UCLA, 91-73, Tuesday night in a Maui Invitational semifinal. Next up for the mid-major from Muncie, Ind., is No. 1 Duke.

That was supposed to be UCLA’s date, a chance to avenge the Bruins’ loss to the Blue Devils in a Sweet 16 game last March. Instead, UCLA (1-1) gets South Carolina in the third-place game.

Judging from Tuesday’s game, Ball State (2-0) will give the Blue Devils a better test. The Cardinals broke UCLA’s press with ease, made several crisp passes on nearly every possession and scored with impunity from inside and out.

“I enjoyed the game, I just had to sit and watch,” Ball State Coach Tim Buckley said. “I thought the last time I’d see Coach K was sitting next to him at the banquet [Sunday night].”

In contrast, the Bruins handled the ball as if they forgot to wash the coconut oil off their hands, committing 22 turnovers, some comical, others outright pathetic.

There was Dan Gadzuric dribbling the ball off his foot. There was Rico Hines dropping the ball out of bounds. There was Billy Knight double-dribbling with no defender within 30 feet of him.

UCLA stayed close in the first half only because Jason Kapono was hot. But Ball State began the second half with a 23-9 run for a 67-49 lead.

As the Hawaiian locals say, the Bruins were “pau”--finished.

“We talk about these tournaments as report cards, tonight we failed,” Coach Steve Lavin said.

With his Hawaiian shirt tucked in, Lavin conveyed less of a hang loose attitude on the sidelines than he did a night earlier when the Bruins beat Houston. But his team was frayed, displaying little intensity and even less defense.

“We have a long way to go on the defensive end of the floor,” Lavin said. “We’ve been aware we have to improve our half-court defense and we have to do a better job of adjusting within our press.

“Tonight was a dramatic example of the glaring deficiencies we need to work on.”

Ball State took a whopping 81 shots, including 34 three-pointers. Had the Cardinals been more accurate from long range--they made only 12--they easily could have scored in triple figures.

Lavin said his team would watch the game film long into the night--surely just what the Bruins want to do with their limited free time on Kaanapali Beach--but Ball State center Lonnie Jones’ pointed comparison might be as valuable.

“Kansas posted up harder and stronger,” he said. “UCLA backed off once you really stuck it to them.”

Jones, a 7-foot senior, stuck it to Gadzuric, making all seven of his shots for 14 points while holding the UCLA center to four points and three rebounds.

There were other mismatches.

Patrick Jackson, an aggressive 5-10 senior, ran circles around Bruin freshman Cedric Bozeman, scoring 26 points and six assists. Bozeman was scoreless and had two assists in 23 minutes.

And Theron Smith, a 6-8 junior, scored 22 points and held Matt Barnes to eight points and seven rebounds.

Kapono, with 26 points, was the only Bruin bright spot. He made all 10 of his free throws, hit four of six from three-point range and single-handedly kept UCLA in the game, scoring the Bruins’ last 12 points of the first half.

But in the second half nothing could stop the Cardinals.

“They were hungry and beat us to the punch,” Kapono said.

The Bruins came to Maui intent on playing Kansas and Duke and will leave without facing either one.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if tomorrow night’s game is somewhat competitive,” Lavin said.

He was referring to Ball State’s chances against No. 1 Duke, not the Bruins’ prospects against South Carolina.

Buckley gives his Cardinals a chance too. No bullies have kicked sand in their faces yet.

“We talked about now being part of Maui history,” he said.

To say nothing of Hoosier history. Another victory and Buckley can return to the mainland the main man in the state of Indiana. Presumably, movie rights would follow.

MAUI INVITATIONAL

SEMIFINALS

Ball State 91, UCLA 73

Duke 81, South Carolina 56

After getting a scare in opener, top-ranked Blue Devils roll with a 19-0 run in the first half. D5

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CONSOLATION BRACKET

Kansas 95, Houston 78

Seton Hall 74, Chaminade 62

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TODAY’S GAMES

Third Place

UCLA vs. South Carolina

3 PST, ESPN2

Championship

Ball State vs. Duke

6 PST, ESPN

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