Bruins Suffer Historic Defeat

Holy John Wooden. Good golly, gutty little Bruins. UCLA’s basketball team lost to Washington State in Los Angeles, 55-48, Thursday night.

What’s the big deal? This is, after all, a rebuilding year for the Bruins and first-year coach Ben Howland, right? Slow progress is the likely path. Losses are expected, right?

Well, not against Washington State, and certainly not here. This was history of the wrong kind for UCLA, a defeat that marked the first time ever -- that’s right, ever -- that UCLA has lost to the Cougars in Los Angeles. That is a stretch of 38 games at Pauley Pavilion and 46 in Los Angeles.

The first game between the two teams was here in 1950, UCLA winning, 60-58. Fifty-four years later, Thursday night, the streak ended.

“There’s a first time for everything,” Howland said afterward, “and unfortunately, this first time was us.”

The defeat meant UCLA’s losing streak went to six and its record went to 5-5 in the Pacific 10 Conference and 9-9 overall, disappointing for a team that started the conference season 5-0.

In fairness to UCLA, Washington State is not likely to be as bad as it has been historically, not after the hiring of Dick Bennett, a veteran coach who took Wisconsin to the Final Four in 2000 and ranks 77th in NCAA career wins with a record of 463-267.

Bennett can also be a master psychologist. Before the game Thursday, he took his team around Pauley Pavilion and pointed out the banners and the history.

“I told them, they were about to play in the building where the greatest college basketball players of all time played, and where the greatest college coach of all time coached,” he said, “And then I asked them to just give an effort that would match that history.

“They listened very carefully this time, and listening is not always our strong suit.”

Bennett’s teams, historically, take the air out of the basketball. The shot clock is used to the fullest with each trip down the floor. And once they get a substantial lead, as they did against the Bruins at 43-29 midway through the second half, it is almost impossible to catch up.

To UCLA’s credit, it almost climbed the hill. After the Bruin press created a turnover with about 3 1/2 minutes left, T.J. Cummings made a basket that cut it to 45-43, but Washington State stayed patient, with Thomas Kelati dropping in two free throws and Jeff Varem making a basket that quickly had the lead up to 49-43.

Kelati led the Cougars (10-10, 4-6) with 15 points and Varem scored 13. Cummings and Dijon Thompson had 15 each for UCLA.

Howland said that an injury to guard Brian Morrison with only 10 minutes left of practice Wednesday disrupted the Bruins a bit. He had planned to start Morrison in place of leading scorer Thompson and bring Thompson in off the bench.

“Brian was just starting to get back from his other injury,” Howland said, “and he was starting to really shoot it well. That did hurt, yes.”

Bennett said he not only understands what Howland is going through with his rebuilding process, but feels for him as far as the extra pressure presented to his fellow first-year coach by heading a tradition-rich UCLA program.

“It’s a lot easier for me at Washington State than it is for him here,” Bennett said.

Now, it remains to be seen how long UCLA fans, used to such excellence over the years, will remain patient. One wore a bag over his head Thursday night, and, punctuating his feelings, left early.