Dijon Is Too Hot in UCLA Victory

Senior Dijon Thompson got UCLA a big lead early and freshman Jordan Farmar made sure the Bruins just kept moving ahead.

Thompson had a career-high 39 points, including 27 in the first half, and Farmar scored 18, all in the second half, as the Bruins beat Arizona State, 95-76, Thursday night in a Pacific 10 Conference game at Pauley Pavilion.

It was UCLA’s second win this season over the Sun Devils and the second time the Bruins held Ike Diogu in check. Diogu, the Pac-10’s leading scorer and rebounder, finished with 20 points and seven rebounds, two and three under his averages.

Thompson was on fire from his first basket -- a three-pointer shot smoothly in rhythm to give UCLA (13-7 overall, 7-5 in the Pac-10) its first score -- until he left the game to a standing ovation from a crowd of 7,227. Thompson pointed at his heart, then at his bench, giving credit to his teammates.

“It was a lot of fun,” Thompson said. “I helped my team get a lead and then they all fed off me. All the players fed off my hot hand. This was a very big win for us to make a statement.”

There was an economy of movement to Thompson’s scoring, an instinctive slide to the right spots. He would give a simple head nod and Farmar knew to get Thompson the ball. He took no bad shots.

“What can you say about Dijon Thompson?” said UCLA Coach Ben Howland, whose team is alone in third place in the Pac-10. “In the first half he had 27 points and every one was a good shot taken within the framework of the offense.”

Arizona State Coach Rob Evans also appreciated Thompson’s effort. “He was really driven tonight to will his team to victory,” said Evans, whose team is 16-8 overall and 5-7 in the Pac-10. “This game was taken over by Dijon Thompson.”

Thompson missed only two shots in the first half (10 for 12, five for six on three-pointers) and one rimmed out. He scored 19 of the Bruins’ first 22 points.

By halftime Thompson was pumping his fists as he and his teammates ran off the court. He was not only a scorer but also a leader. The Bruins were ahead, 46-32, their second-largest halftime lead of the season. Another senior, Brian Morrison (13 points), punctuated the fun by making a running bank shot with 3.6 seconds left in the half.

Freshman guard Arron Afflalo said it was special, playing with Thompson on this night.

“When he’s that hot we all feel like we’re hot,” Afflalo said. “It’s an amazing thing and you rarely see it, a guy scoring 27 points in a half.”

Farmar said it took only a moment, long enough to see Thompson’s first three-pointer drop softly through the net, to understand what he should do. “Just give him the ball,” Farmar said. “Every time I could, give him the ball.”

His team also survived what seemed like a crucial rookie mistake. Sun Devil point guard Jason Braxton muscled his way to a steal from Farmar, who committed a helpless foul instead of conceding Braxton’s layup. It was Farmar’s third foul and put him on the bench for the final 3:20 of the half with UCLA ahead, 36-29.

Instead of stumbling, though, the Bruins scored another 10 points, built momentum and had fun. There was a driving layup from Josh Shipp, a Thompson dunk, a jump shot in the lane from Morrison; a layup from Afflalo off a delicate bounce pass from Morrison, then Morrison’s final bank shot (he had 10 first-half points).

Meanwhile, the Bruins again were effective in double teaming Diogu. Center Michael Fey, 7 feet and 270 pounds and maybe the only UCLA player who can’t be pushed easily, stood his ground behind Diogu while Thompson or another forward would rush toward Arizona State’s star any time he caught the ball within 10 feet of the basket. Diogu had four turnovers, all traveling calls.

Steve Moore, from Compton Dominguez High, had a career-high 31 points for the Sun Devils, making eight of 11 from three-point range. Moore, a senior, came off the bench for the first time this season after going 16 for his last 66 from the field.

But many of those three-pointers came well into the second half when the Bruins were happily protecting a double-digit lead by shooting 70% (14 for 20) in the final 20 minutes. “That shows we were smart,” Farmar said. “We took good shots and we were patient.”

And happy to let Moore have his 31 because they didn’t matter. Thompson’s 39 did.