Bruins Unable to Band Together

Taking a cue from forward Jason Kapono, every UCLA player donned a white headband Thursday night against California.

Inspired display of unity or a sign of getting tight around the temples?

The answer became obvious soon enough.

UCLA turned in its worst performance of a rapidly disintegrating season, losing, 69-51, before a sellout crowd of 12,000 at Haas Pavilion, the Bears’ deafening, sweltering on-campus arena that became especially hostile after Matt Barnes knocked Cal guard Shantay Legans out cold with an forearm shiver late in the game.

But the Bruins haven’t heard, or felt, the worst yet.

Louder still will be the cries of UCLA followers wondering how such an experienced team can fall apart so completely, losing seven of its last 13.

More stifling than ever will be pressure on the Bruins to somehow, some way find a measure of consistency in time for the Pacific 10 Conference and NCAA tournaments.

“Now we are playing for seeding in the conference tournament,” guard Billy Knight said.

UCLA (17-9, 9-6 in the Pac-10) is alone in sixth place and all but eliminated from the regular-season conference race with three games to play. Cal (19-6, 10-5) improved to 16-1 at home after holding the Bruins to their lowest point total of the season.

“We have to demonstrate chemistry and intensity,” UCLA Coach Steve Lavin said. “We had neither tonight. We shot poorly and allowed Cal to get the ball inside for easy baskets.”

Shooting is usually the least of UCLA’s problems. But the Bruins shot only 42.6% and the deft touch from the perimeter shown by Kapono, Knight and Barnes much of the season vanished.

Kapono was three for nine, making two of eight from three-point range and scoring 10 points. He hit a three-pointer less than two minutes into the game and did not make another shot until three minutes into the second half.

Knight was as good as invisible with six points, no rebounds and no assists in 26 minutes. Barnes missed eight of 11 shots, totaling eight points and two rebounds in 30 minutes, and continued his disturbing trend of committing turnovers with four.

But most distressing was his blow on Legans, who was unconscious for two minutes and suffered a concussion. Pac-10 officials will rule today on whether Barnes is suspended for Saturday’s game at Stanford.

Legans grabbed Barnes’ jersey after missing a layup with 2:44 to play and the Bruin forward retaliated by sending both arms into his face. Barnes was ejected and Cal fans threw pennies at him and yelled at his family members sitting behind the Bruin bench.

“I lost control, it was unacceptable and it won’t happen again,” Barnes said. “It was definitely the wrong thing to do.”

Said Cal Coach Ben Braun: “I know Matt Barnes and I would like to think it’s a moment where Matt lost his head.”

Barnes was one of three players to lose the headband at halftime after UCLA fell behind, 33-18. Although the Bruins played better in the second half, Cal’s Amit Tamir did too, scoring 14 of his 18 points to help keep the lead in double figures.

The only positive for UCLA was center Dan Gadzuric turning in his third strong game in a row, making seven of seven shots and notching 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Nothing went right early for the Bruins. UCLA scored on only eight of 32 first-half possessions, committing 12 turnovers and making seven of 21 shots from the field. Gadzuric (10 points) was the only Bruin to make more than one field goal.

Cal’s first 12 points came inside five feet. Center Solomon Hughes made five of six shots in the half and guard Brian Wethers made four of five, all from short range.

By the end, even Kapono had stripped off his headband.

“It was all about the team, wearing those,” forward T.J. Cummings said. “But we didn’t come out and play basketball the way we were supposed to.”