Fans Won’t Take It Sitting Down

Call it taking a stand, Part 2.

The two UCLA students removed from Pauley Pavilion by campus police officers during the game Thursday for the egregious crime of rising from their seats plan to return tonight.

And they say the ranks of standing student scofflaws could swell to 20 or so. All designed to prove a point to apathetic fellow students and the Pauley powers that be.

“It’s absurd that fans can’t be fans,” said Eli Karon, a third-year history major who is asking his friends to join in what could be termed a “stand-in.”

Karon and second-year philosophy major Jason Gaulton were heckled by fellow students when they stood in a student section during the Bruin’s 86-71 victory. A complaint from a student sitting behind Karon triggered the wrath of ushers, who summoned student affairs administrator Berky Nelson and police officers when Karon and Gaulton refused to sit.

“I’ve gone to games for two years and have never sat down,” Karon said. “It’s the first time ushers asked me to leave.”

Nelson was visibly perturbed at the students and told them he would meet with them early next week, presumably to determine a suitable punishment.

A UCLA spokesman said Friday there is no rule against standing at a basketball game.

“It’s a customer service issue,” said Marc Dellins, assistant athletic director. “If one person is disrupting other people in the section, you need to find a resolution.”

Gaulton and Karon believe that suitable behavior at a basketball game is different from that at, say, a piano recital or an opera, and that fans in a student section should realize that standing is an accepted practice all over the country.

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Attendance at the Pacific 10 Conference tournament should be strong even if UCLA does not qualify. The 2,500 tickets UCLA was allotted were sold to season-ticket holders months ago.

“Last year [UCLA] lost in the first round and [attendance] kept up,” said John Kasser, vice president of Pacific 10 Properties.

Kasser believes that Arizona will be a strong enough draw to fill Staples Center.

“It helps when you have the No. 1 team [in the nation],” he said. “The local college basketball fan wants to see the No. 1 team.”

About 15,000 tickets have been sold to the three-day event, which begins Thursday. About 3,000 tickets in the upper level are available. The cost is $135 for all seven games.

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TONIGHT

vs. Washington, 7:30

Fox Sports Net 2

Site -- Pauley Pavilion.

Radio -- XTRA (690, 1150).

Records -- UCLA 8-18 overall, 5-12 in Pacific 10; Washington 10-16, 5-12.

Update -- It will be senior night for Bruins Ray Young and Jason Kapono, and both are coming off excellent performances. Young scored a career-high 30 points against Washington State and Kapono scored 22.

Staff writer Robyn Norwood contributed to this report.

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Scene Setter

The scenarios facing UCLA:

* If UCLA loses to Washington, the Bruin season is over.

* If UCLA beats Washington and USC and Oregon State lose, UCLA will be seeded No. 6 in the Pac-10 tournament and play the loser of the game between California and Stanford.

* If UCLA beats Washington, USC loses and Oregon State wins, UCLA will be seeded No. 7 and will play the winner of the game between California and Stanford.

* If UCLA beats Washington, USC wins and Oregon State loses, UCLA will be seeded No. 8 and play Arizona.

* If UCLA, USC and Oregon State all win, UCLA will be seeded No. 8 and play Arizona.