SAY HEY: LAVIN A WINNER : BRUINS HANDLE VISITING MATADORS UCLA 95, CSUN 73.Byline: Jon Wilner Daily News Staff Writer Denied his first career victory in the season opener, then forced to wait 13 days for another chance, 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 rookie coach Steve Lavin Steve Lavin (born September 4,1964), a San Francisco, California native is a former college basketball coach and current ABC and ESPN TV analyst. As UCLA head basketball coach from 1996-2003, Lavin compiled a record of 145-78. welcomed any and all encouragement during the Thanksgiving holiday. ``A friend of mine called and said Willie Mays Noun 1. Willie Mays - United States baseball player (born in 1931) Mays, Say Hey Kid, Willie Howard Mays Jr. was 0 for his first 11,'' said Lavin, a Bay area native and longtime Giants fan. ``He had a pretty good career after that.'' Lavin didn't have to wait 11 games for win No. 1, as the Bruins rolled methodically to a 95-73 victory over Cal State Northridge Tuesday night at Pauley Pavilion Edwin W. Pauley Pavilion, informally and commonly known as Pauley Pavilion, is an indoor arena located on the campus of UCLA in Los Angeles, California. It is home to the UCLA Bruins men's and women's basketball teams. The men's and women's volleyball teams also play here. . The Nov. 20 overtime loss to Tulsa kept UCLA from spending a week in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. for the semifinals and finals. But it also gave Lavin an unexpected opportunity to smooth over several glaring rough areas and further familiarize the Bruins with his coaching techniques. ``We would love to have gone to New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , but that wouldn't have given us quality practice time,'' he said. ``As opposed to five hours of practice (last week) with the games and travel and hotels, we got 22. ``It helped with our conditioning, working on the halfcourt offense and continuing to improve the defense.'' The 17th-ranked Bruins (1-1) were crisp against Northridge but only in spurts. And the extra practice time did nothing to eliminate the lapses in concentration that have plagued them since the start of last season. This much is certain: A similar performance Saturday, against top-ranked Kansas, will result in an embarrassing afternoon for the Bruins. Forward J.R. Henderson and center Jelani McCoy Jelani Marwan McCoy (born December 6 1977 in Oakland, California) is an American professional basketball player. A 6'10" power forward, he played in the NBA from 1998-2005 for the Seattle SuperSonics, Los Angeles Lakers, Toronto Raptors, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Atlanta Hawks. did not start against the Matadors because of what UCLA officials called a ``minor team violation.'' Sixth man Kris Johnson was also involved, so reserves Bob Myers and Brandon Loyd moved into the lineup, both starting for the first time. Loyd opened the game with a 3-pointer, but it was apparent immediately that the Bruins missed the inside presence of Henderson and McCoy - even against Northridge's small frontcourt. Three of the Matadors' first five baskets were from short range. The troubled troika checked in with 12 minutes left and UCLA leading 17-12. Dunks by Charles O'Bannon Charles Edward O'Bannon (born February 22 1975 in Lakewood, California) is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins, where he was a star small forward/shooting guard, and a starter on the school's 1995 NCAA Championship team. and McCoy quickly expanded the lead to eight. But just as the Bruins seemed poised to take command, they lapsed into a signature sloppy stretch: Three straight turnovers and five scoreless possessions enabled Northridge to pull within 22-20. UCLA regrouped on the run - or on the dunk. McCoy's slam with 8:34 left sparked a 13-2 surge, which included a nifty play from point guard Cameron Dollar. He grabbed a loose ball on the defensive end, raced downcourt down·court adv. & adj. Sports To, into, or in the far end of the court, especially in basketball. , dribbled around his back to avoid a defender then passed to O'Bannon for a dunk. The half concluded with an exchange of baskets. Each time Northridge closed to single digits, the Bruins responded with a two or three baskets to keep the Matadors out of range. The second half was much like the first but with UCLA's lead hovering in the 12-to-16-point range. The Matadors played hard and did not quit. The Bruins did what was needed and not much more to maintain their lead. The drop: Ranked 13th last week, the Bruins dropped to 17th this week without playing a game. ``That doesn't mean anything to me,'' Lavin said. ``I think being out of the spotlight the last 11 days has been a tremendous positive for us.'' Earl's on board: It took a few days longer than expected, but UCLA finally received recruit Earl Watson's letter of intent. The 6-foot-1 combination guard from Kansas City (Kan.) Washington High School Washington High School may refer to:
His letter was mailed Nov. 20, the last day of the early-signing period, and arrived in the Morgan Center on Monday. The pipeline: Since 1986-87, the Bruins have sent 26 players to the NBA NBA abbr. 1. National Basketball Association 2. National Boxing Association NBA (US) n abbr (= National Basketball Association) → Basketball-Dachverband (= - more than any school in the nation, according to UCLA. North Carolina North Carolina, state in the SE United States. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (E), South Carolina and Georgia (S), Tennessee (W), and Virginia (N). Facts and Figures Area, 52,586 sq mi (136,198 sq km). Pop. is second, at 24, followed by Michigan and Louisville, with 18 each. The Swami line: Here's how various preseason media outlets ranked the Bruins nationally: Inside Sports: 1. Playboy: 2. The Sporting News: 3. U.S. Basketball Writers: 3. Sports Illustrated: 4. College Sports: 4. Blue Ribbon: 5. Basketball Times: 6. Dick Vitale's Preview: 6. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: (color) CSUN's Gerald Rhoden, on ground, scrambles for loose ball with UCLA's Brandon Loyd, left, and Charles O'Bannon. Gus Ruelas / Daily News |
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