UCLA Doesn’t Size Up

Stanford was precise, running its offense with players making studious cuts and playing its basketball with patience.

UCLA was scattershot, on one possession taking a 26-foot jump shot too quickly and on another making an extra pass when a layup was available.

With Dijon Thompson, the Pacific-10 Conference’s second-leading scorer, held without a point in the first half and with its freshman point guard Jordan Farmar stifled by Stanford’s sound defense, the Cardinal won its eighth straight game at Pauley Pavilion on Thursday night, 75-64, over the Bruins.

It was UCLA’s first loss at home this season and it sent the crowd of 8,255 home early and disgruntled as it was announced that all roads leading through Westwood were clogged with citizens demonstrating for and against President Bush.

There was never a moment when UCLA (10-5, 4-3) was ready to seize control, never a second when UCLA’s athletes got to running, never an instant when they were able to fly up the court for the slashing layups and quick scoring strikes that had become their pleasing trademark so far during conference play.

“That’s what they do,” said Farmar, who finished with eight points, four assists and four turnovers. “They slow it down, they play as a team and they are very patient. Their big men are really skilled, they can use either hand, they are tough to guard.”

Stanford’s 6-foot-10 center Rob Little and 6-11 forward Matt Haryasz combined for 26 points and 15 rebounds, but it was Stanford junior Dan Grunfeld who owned the game for the Cardinal (9-7, 3-3).

“He’s sneaky,” Bruin freshman Arron Afflalo said.

Grunfeld finished with a game-high 25 points. He wasn’t flamboyant or even always noticeable until suddenly, as the shot clock ran down or as it seemed all his teammates were well guarded, Grunfeld would rise awkwardly in the air, lean at a cockeyed angle or take a stumbling step forward and make a calming jumper.

Meanwhile Thompson, so confident and spectacular for UCLA during the last three weeks, was stifled by the gangly Haryasz. He was three for 11 from the field and finished with as many turnovers as points -- six.

Stanford Coach Trent Johnson wouldn’t give all the credit to Haryasz for holding Thompson almost 13 points below his season average.

“I saw a lot of easy opportunities he missed,” Johnson said.

Said Thompson: “Bottom line, I didn’t step up. I just came out flat.”

UCLA Coach Ben Howland said Thompson’s two early fouls (neither on defense) seemed to make the senior tentative.

After a sluggish start where UCLA seemed slow-footed and slow-witted, the Cardinal methodically forged a 22-12 lead before the Bruins started moving their feet on defense and offense.

Center Michael Fey, who had his first career double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, had two of the baskets, Afflalo drew a big crowd response with a one-handed bank shot on the run and Brian Morrison made a wide-open three-point basket. It was Fey’s second basket in the run, a confident hook shot over Cardinal center Rob Little, that cut the lead to 22-21.

But as soon as Pauley filled with noise, the bumbling Bruins returned. Fey missed a layup and Matt McKinney, taking the place of Thompson and his two fouls, missed a wide-open 12-footer, earned when Farmar directed the fast break. Morrison and Afflalo committed consecutive turnovers, two of UCLA’s 20, and soon Stanford was back up, 29-21.

Thompson tried to get himself started early in the second half and it didn’t work. He lost his grip on the ball in trying to make a move in the lane, missed an open three-pointer and missed an open jump shot in the lane on consecutive UCLA possessions. Meanwhile, the Cardinal moved ahead, 41-33, with 15:58 to play. Never again did the Bruins get closer than six points.

Little, a senior, celebrated his Cardinal career by never losing at Pauley. Was he surprised? “What’s the surprise? What is it,” Little said, “seven times now, eight straight?”

It’s eight. And counting.