UCLA: NO PANIC AFTER LOSS; BRUINS STILL LIKE CHANCES OF WINNING CONFERENCE TITLE.Byline: Jon Wilner Daily News Staff Writer There was no hint of desperation, no sense of a league season lost. In fact, the 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 locker room has been more depressed after victories than it was after the 87-75 loss at Arizona on Saturday night. The nonchalance and mangled pizza boxes scattered throughout the tiny room in McKale Center McKale Memorial Center is an athletic arena located on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. It is primarily used for basketball, but also features state-of-the-art physical training and therapy facilities. were reminiscent of the postgame scene after UCLA's 48-point loss at Stanford last year. ``I think as a freshman I would be more worried about this loss than I am,'' senior Toby Bailey John Garfield "Toby" Bailey (born November 19 1975 in Los Angeles, California, United States) is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball at UCLA and was one of the stars of their 1995 National Championship team. said. ``But we know it's a long season. There are still a lot of games to play. As long as we bounce back quick, we can still win the Pac-10 and be there in March.'' Saturday's defeat becomes inconsequential if the Bruins (9-2, 0-1) win tonight at Arizona State - just as they recovered from the Stanford loss last year to conquer Cal. The goal on Pac-10 road trips, especially in the desert and Bay Area, is a split. The Bruins get that tonight, the trip immediately becomes a success. ``Last year Arizona went to L.A. and got swept and went to the Bay Area and got swept,'' Bruins 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. said. ``You do that, and you're looking at fifth place. The teams that have won the league have split on the road and won at home. If you get a couple (road) sweeps, then you're looking at 15-3. If you get swept on the road, you have to get one back.'' The Pac-10 balance of power has shifted south this season. UCLA and Stanford will be difficult to beat at home. But with Cal and USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. slumping, the toughest trip - the most likely place to get swept - is Arizona. The Wildcats are nearly unbeatable in McKale Center, and winning at Arizona State won't be easy. Under interim coach Don Newman Don Newman, C.M. LL.D is the senior parliamentary editor for CBC Television. He is also the host of CBC Newsworld's daily politics program . Originally from Winnipeg, Newman began his career at CTV where he served as the network's Washington correspondent from 1972 until , the Sun Devils
Indifference is UCLA's ally. The Bruins understand that Pac-10 titles are not won or lost in the opening game, and that the NCAA Tournament NCAA Tournament can mean: Men's Sports
n. Sports 1. A series of stalls with interconnected doors that open simultaneously at the beginning of a race. 2. , surveying the turf and welcoming suspended starters Kris Johnson and 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. to the race. ``We're not going to hit on all cylinders until the second half of the league,'' Lavin said. ``If a band has a different drummer and a different sax player, it's going to play different music.'' After all they've endured the past 15 months, the Bruins have learned to dance to their own beat. ``We know how good we are,'' Bailey said. ``We've got a lot of confidence. We were right in the (Arizona) game the whole game, despite their great crowd and all the emotion. ``We know when we're hitting on all cylinders we'll be hard to beat.'' No. 9 UCLA VS. ARIZONA ST. Tipoff: 5:30 p.m. in Tempe, Ariz. TV/Radio: Fox Sports West 2; XTRA-AM (1150). UCLA (9-2, 0-1 Pac-10) update: Bruins must avoid 0-2 conference start. They have a 17-game winning streak against ASU ASU Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ) ASU Appalachian State University ASU Arkansas State University ASU Angelo State University ASU Alabama State University ASU Australian Services Union , and the frenetic pace tonight should favor UCLA. ASU lacks size and its spotty defense will permit easy shots for Bruins inside. UCLA must get J.R. Henderson involved early after his three-point performance at Arizona. The second game of a road trip is always tough physically. Will coach Steve Lavin substitute more than in recent games? Arizona State (11-3, 1-0) update: Sun Devils defeated USC 84-81 Saturday, their first conference victory in 49 weeks. (They lost their final 11 Pac-10 games last year.) This season, interim coach Don Newman has made use of considerable talent. In Mike Batiste, Jeremy Veal, Eddie House and Bobby Lazor, ASU has four players who can score on anyone. (Ask Kansas.) But the Sun Devils aren't particularly big and have seven scholarship players. This is a matchup of two teams with no depth. CAPTION(S): Photo, Box PHOTO UCLA's Toby Bailey (12) and Mike Bibby of Arizona follow the flight of the ball during the Wildcats' 87-75 victory in Tucson, Ariz. Associated Press BOX: No. 9 UCLA VS. ARIZONA ST. (see text) |
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