DEFENSE DOES IT FOR BRUINS.Byline: Ramona Shelburne Ramona Shelburne is an American sports journalist currently writing for the Los Angeles Daily News. Shelburne was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She attended El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills, California where she was a class valedictorian. Staff Writer OAKLAND - It took a while, but that vaunted vaunt v. vaunt·ed, vaunt·ing, vaunts v.tr. To speak boastfully of; brag about. v.intr. To speak boastfully; brag. See Synonyms at boast1. n. 1. UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX defense finally showed up. In 1995, Tyus Edney Tyus Dwayne Edney (born February 14 1973 in Gardena, California) is an American professional basketball player, known for one of the greatest plays in college basketball history. made an impossible coast-to-coast drive and layup to keep the Bruins' season alive. On Thursday night, it was UCLA's defense that did the trick. With 3:26 remaining, UCLA trailed by nine. Virtually nothing the Bruins had done in the previous 36 minutes had given any indication they were capable of mounting a comeback. Virtually nothing Gonzaga had done in the previous 36 minutes suggested they were capable of allowing one. ``It was desperation time,'' UCLA sophomore guard Arron Afflalo Arron Agustin Afflalo (born October 15, 1985) is an American professional basketball player, currently with the Detroit Pistons. He recently completed a three-year career at University of California, Los Angeles in the Pacific Ten Conference of the NCAA as the starting shooting said. ``We'd been playing soft 'D' all game, we had to turn it on. It was a lot of pride, a lot anger, but mostly heart and passion. The will to win.'' All night, it had seemed Gonzaga's Adam Morrison  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled. couldn't
miss. But when it really counted, UCLA forced him to.
All night, it had seemed the Bruins had no answer for Gonzaga's bruising center J.P. Batista, but when it really counted, UCLA found one. And finally, when there seemed no choice but to foul with 9.7 seconds remaining, Farmar and Cedric Bozeman Cedric R. Bozeman (born March 7 1983 in Los Angeles, California) is an American professional basketball player, formerly of the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA. Bozeman averaged 1.1 points in 23 games with five starts with the Hawks before being waived in January 2007. created a different one. ``It seemed like the whole game, every time we'd make a run, they'd come right back,'' UCLA point guard Jordan Farmar Jordan Robert Farmar (born November 30, 1986) is an American professional basketball player at starting point guard for the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers. He was previously the starting point guard for the UCLA men's basketball team. said. ``We couldn't get the necessary stops until the last three minutes. I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. where we got it from, but we just dug deep.'' Farmar and Bozeman trapped Batista in the corner, and rather than fouling, stripped him cleanly of the ball. Farmar picked it up and found Mbah a Moute under the basket for the go-ahead score. It was the Bruins' first, and only, lead of the game. It's hard to say what sparked the Bruins' three-minutes-of-hell defensive stand. After the game in UCLA's locker room, many of the players still seemed a bit shocked. But its roots may have begun growing a few minutes later, with who else, Afflalo, their fiery leader. With 7:13 remaining, Afflalo and Morrison got tangled under the basket. Afflalo had picked up his fourth foul about eight minutes earlier and had to play cautiously. He even warned the referees to watch for Morrison trying to flop and draw his fifth foul. But in this moment, Afflalo couldn't help himself. He threw Morrison to the ground. Morrison pleaded for a foul, but he was flagged instead. That play was all attitude, all hustle, all tenacity - the hallmarks of UCLA's defense. ``I was walking back to the bench, during the media time out and coach says to me, 'It's about time!' '' Afflalo said. Usually, it's Morrison getting under his opponents' skin. This time, it was Afflalo getting under Morrison's. Morrison scored just two points the rest of the game. A few minutes later, Morrison was face down again, this time at halfcourt, shocked, in tears, dejected de·ject·ed adj. Being in low spirits; depressed. See Synonyms at depressed. de·ject  ed·ly adv. at what that UCLA defense had
just done.
``We had control of that game ... It just happened in a blur,'' Morrison said. Three minutes of hell can feel that way. Ramona Shelburne, (818) 713-3617 ramona.shelburne(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: UCLA's Ryan Hollins gets tangled up with Gonzaga's David Pendergaft while battling for a loose ball in the second half. Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion