UCLA Has the Answer for Diogu

Ryan Hollins made the first three-point shot of his UCLA career. Michael Fey planted his big feet solidly in place behind Ike Diogu and held his position time and again against the best player in the Pacific 10 Conference. So for the first time in his Arizona State career, Diogu took more shots (16) than he had points scored (15).

And the Bruins ran. They took advantage of their major talent, having young men with long legs and arms and who can race to the basket.

For the fourth time in five games the Bruins scored more than 80 points. They beat Arizona State, 86-82, on Thursday night in a Pac-10 game in front of 9,850 at Wells Fargo Arena. It was the first home loss for the Sun Devils (13-3, 2-2) and it was the fourth consecutive win for league-leading UCLA (10-3, 4-1)

Diogu, a 6-foot-8 forward who has been named Pac-10 player of the week three times already this season and who leads the conference in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots, was held to 15 points (eight under his average) on six-for-16 shooting and a below-average nine rebounds.

Every time Diogu touched the ball, two Bruins were in his face. One was usually Fey, a 7-footer who has sometimes frustrated UCLA Coach Ben Howland with his passive ways.

“Fey stepped up defensively,” Hollins said. “He’s my MVP tonight. He stepped up big. Coach told Mike to hold his ground against Diogu, and he held it every time.”

Hollins, another UCLA 7-footer, had six points, five rebounds, an assist and a blocked shot in 20 minutes. If those aren’t world-beating numbers, a week ago they would have been totally unexpected after Hollins played a total of two minutes during the Oregon State-Oregon trip.

“It’s a big boost having Ryan,” said point guard Jordan Farmar, who led UCLA with 20 points and had five assists and six rebounds before fouling out. “He gives us a lot of energy.”

Energy is important for the Bruins, who have discovered that the faster they push the ball the better they play.

“At the start of the season we played more slowdown,” said Arron Afflalo, one of the three freshmen who start and another of the four Bruins who scored in double figures (17 points). “But I think we’ve discovered our guards are our strength. We’re better if we play faster.”

Arizona State Coach Rob Evans said he was unhappy with how his team handled UCLA’s pace.

“We didn’t do a good job of getting back in transition,” Evans said. “It was something we worked on. We knew they were going to come out like that.”

If up-tempo basketball has become UCLA’s signature this season, a less pleasant coda is its slow starts.

Saturday against Washington, the Bruins fell behind by 21 in the first half. Thursday night they were down 32-20 after a three-pointer by the Sun Devils’ Bryson Krueger. Even though Diogu hadn’t scored, Arizona State’s guards -- Krueger (16 points), Kevin Kruger (18 points) and Jason Braxton -- were beating the Bruins off the dribble and forward Serge Angounou (13 points) was taking advantage of some freedoms gained by the double teams of Diogu.

But UCLA outscored Arizona State 22-9 the rest of the first half. The climb started when Hollins passed to backup center Lorenzo Mata for a layup. Farmar had 11 of those points.

“Jordan was huge for us offensively,” Howland said.

And the Bruins’ momentum carried over to the start of the second half when they scored the first eight points to go ahead 50-41. Afflalo made two plays, a fake that freed him in the lane and a layup. Fey swished a hook shot over Diogu and Josh Shipp worked free for a layup.

It was a lead UCLA never lost, and it was an advantage that hit 10 points when Hollins made his three-pointer. The ball bounced high off the rim before dropping through the basket, making the score 67-57.

The Sun Devils got as close as two points four times after that as Kruger, son of Nevada Las Vegas Coach Lon Kruger, scored 14 of his points. His final three-pointer came with 10.1 seconds left and made the score 84-82. But Afflalo made two free throws with 7.7 left, and Howland hugged him at the end.

“It was a great win,” Howland said, “over an outstanding team.”