FINAL DESTINATION UCLA DEFEATS LSU, PLAYS FOR CHAMPIONSHIP VS. FLORIDA UCLA 59, LSU 45.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

INDIANAPOLIS - There were two straight dunks by Luc Richard Mbah a Moute to begin the second half, then a gorgeous alley-oop slam by Ryan Hollins on UCLA's next possession.

``UCLA can still dunk the basketball,'' Bruins senior Cedric Bozeman said.

So it leaves one issue remaining - that being whether defensive-minded UCLA can still win national championships.

Thanks to the second-seeded Bruins' resounding 59-45 pounding of No. 4 seed LSU at the RCA Dome in Saturday's NCAA national semifinals, everyone will find out.

UCLA paired its typically smothering defense with a surprising offensive efficiency to pull away early and coast into Monday's title game against Florida with its 12th straight victory. The Bruins (32-6) can set a school record for victories in a season on the same night they can win their 12th national title. Tipoff is 6:15 p.m.

``We're here, and we feel like we're supposed to be here,'' Bruins guard Arron Afflalo said. ``We're here to make our own history and add on to (the past). This program won't be fully restored until we're national champions.''

The Bruins' last national title came in 1995, and another would be only their second since legendary coach John Wooden retired after the 1975 championship.

To do it, UCLA will need to sweep a pair of Southeastern Conference schools. The third-seeded Gators put an end to No. 11 seed George Mason's nation-captivating run with a 73-58 win in the first semifinal.

``It wasn't easy,'' Afflalo said, ``but we understand that if we play possession by possession, (this is) what the score is going to be.''

Mbah a Moute, a freshman power forward, powered UCLA's offense and was the cornerstone of its defense. He matched a career-high with 17 points, grabbed nine rebounds and was the main defender of LSU's Glen ``Big Baby'' Davis.

Davis' frustration from the field was a microcosm of what LSU (27-9) experienced under UCLA's rugged defense. He shot 5 of 17 from the field, while the Tigers shot 32 percent and missed all eight of their 3-point attempts. LSU, which trailed by as many as 24 points in the second half, also committed 15 turnovers.

``That's the best defense we played all year,'' UCLA coach Ben Howland said. ``You know how lucky we were to get past Alabama and Gonzaga. I mean, Gonzaga is like a miracle finish, and it's great to see we're seizing the opportunity.''

Davis scored 14 points, but was harassed at first by Mbah a Moute, then by a double-team every time he touched the ball within 10 feet of the basket.

His frustration was clear when, with several minutes remaining, he shoved Mbah a Moute out of bounds to pick up his fifth foul.

``It took a lot of effort, as far as working my feet, and the guards did a good job,'' Mbah a Moute said. ``Ryan Hollins would come in, or Lorenzo (Mata) would come in and help me, as far as trapping him inside. We tried to stop him, and it worked pretty good.''

LSU freshman Tyrus Thomas was held to 12 points, partly because of foul trouble and also because of ineffectiveness.

The Bruins also had a 42-33 advantage on the boards, keyed by Mbah a Moute, backup Lorenzo Mata (eight rebounds) and strong rebounding from the backcourt. Bozeman had five rebounds and Afflalo added six.

UCLA's rebounding effort also led to plenty of baskets in transition, especially in the first half when the Bruins built a 39-24 lead.

``They crash a lot of people, and a big part of their offense is to get second shots,'' said Bruins point guard Jordan Farmar, who scored 12 points. ``We did a great job of getting rebounds, boxing out. Once you see four guys below the free-throw line (rebounding), it's easy. You just run the other way.''

The ugly, defensive matchup nearly everyone expected materialized only in part. LSU was holding teams to 33.9 percent shooting from the field, but the Bruins carved them up with nifty interior passing and sharpshooting from the perimeter.

Shedding the label of the tough-nosed, grind-it-out Bruisin's for at least a game, the Bruins scored in transition and had a flurry of dunks.

UCLA shot 58.3 percent in the first half, then opened the final 20 minutes with a pair of Mbah a Moute dunks off sharp cuts to the basket and a perfectly executed backdoor alley-oop from Farmar to a soaring Hollins as the Bruins stretched their lead to 45-25.

``That was the key,'' Farmar said. ``Against Gonzaga, we were down in the same situation, and that's what we talked about. We were on the other side of it against Gonzaga and we came back and won. We didn't want to let that happen.''

Twenty seconds later, Farmar typified UCLA's shooting performance when, with the 35-second shot clock winding down, he calmly sank a 25-footer to put the Bruins ahead 50-27 with 15:33 to play.

``They would make big shots after we would play great defense for 34 seconds,'' LSU guard Ben Voogd said. ``That's just hard for us to come back from something like that, and when it happens over and over again, it's hard to pick yourself up.''

Brian Dohn, [phone]

brian.dohn(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) UCLA's Luc Richard Mbah a Moute scores two of his 17 points during the first half against LSU on Saturday in the NCAA semifinals.

(2) UCLA's Ryan Hollins, right, comes down after scoring in over LSU's Garrett Temple.

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

(3) UCLA coach Ben Howland shouts from the sideline during the first half against LSU. Howland will be coaching in his first NCAA men's basketball title game Monday.

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

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