Bruins Stumble Yet Again

Presumably, Staples Center has a back door, a service entrance or some other way in that doesn’t attract attention. Whatever it is, the UCLA Bruins ought to use it if they qualify for next week’s Pacific 10 Conference tournament.

All they had to do to clinch a berth Thursday night was defeat a team they have dominated for decades, but that didn’t happen. The Bruins handled the ball as if they wore oven mitts, committing 18 turnovers in a 65-56 loss to Oregon State in front of 6,384 fans at Gill Coliseum.

They have one more chance Saturday in the regular-season finale at Oregon. Even with a loss, UCLA gets into the eight-team tournament if Washington State loses to California, or if Oregon State loses to USC.

However, a loss to Oregon combined with victories by Washington State and Oregon State would leave UCLA (11-15, 7-10 in the Pac-10) in ninth place and looking to next season.

Actually, the Bruins have played for two months as if they are looking to next season, losing all but two of their last 14 games. They are 0-7 on the road since Jan. 10.

That’s some momentum they’d take into the tournament should they make it.

“We’d probably be playing one of the top two teams,” Coach Ben Howland said. “We’ve been unable to finish out close games. That has really hurt us.”

When he emerged from a somber locker room, Howland believed his team had clinched a spot by virtue of Stanford’s victory over Washington State. After hastily doing the math, he realized it wasn’t so.

Oregon State (12-15, 6-11), meanwhile, understood its tournament hopes were alive when Stanford’s miracle finish was announced as Beaver guard J.S. Nash prepared to shoot two free throws with 37.2 seconds left. He made them both to extend the lead to 60-53.

“It gave us something to play for,” Nash said.

Obscured by the loss and tournament contingencies was a blistering shooting performance by UCLA forward Dijon Thompson, who made a career-high seven three-point baskets and scored a season-high 25 points on nine-for-12 shooting.

The rest of the Bruins made only 11 of 32 shots, getting fewer attempts than usual because of the repeated turnovers.

“A lot of those were unforced mistakes,” point guard Cedric Bozeman said. “And they capitalized on them.”

Bozeman sat out much of the second half because of foul trouble, and the UCLA zone defense was vulnerable in his absence. Beaver guard Chris Stephens scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half, including the biggest basket, a three-pointer with two minutes left when UCLA had pulled to within 54-53 on a layup by Trevor Ariza.

“This was the game we should have had,” Bruin center Ryan Hollins said.

Mistakes, however, started early. UCLA had more turnovers (11) than baskets (10) in a lackluster first half.

Only three three-pointers by Thompson kept the Bruins close. Thompson also had a dunk with 21.3 seconds left to conclude a patient possession that pulled UCLA within 25-24.

However, center Michael Fey fouled Beaver guard Lamar Hurd on a layup with 3.3 seconds left and Hurd made the free throw for a four-point Oregon State halftime lead.

Beaver leading scorer David Lucas hurt his right knee and went to the locker room six minutes into the game. He came back two minutes later and was noticeably less active than before the injury, making only three of 13 shots and scoring 13 points.

Reserve guard Angelo Tsagarakis, a freshman from Affreville, France, sparked Oregon State with eight points in seven minutes, including two long three-pointers. He finished with 10 points.