UCLA KEY TO GAME: NOT SENIOR DAY FOR UCLA GADZURIC, KNIGHT, BARNES, HINES MISS LAST OPPORTUNITY.

Byline: Michael A. Anastasi Sports Editor 

SAN JOSE - Few UCLA teams have had as much unquestioned promise as this one. Promise, ultimately, the Bruins betrayed.

Unquestionably led by the most talented, and outwardly mature group of seniors since on the 1995 national championship team, these enigmatic Bruins knew another appearance this far in the NCAA Tournament saved face but proved nothing.

Thursday's 82-73 loss to Missouri proved everything - that the Bruins never were as good as they believed, that their see-saw season defined who they are.

And in the end it was their seniors who failed them, who for the third consecutive year failed to lead them beyond the Sweet 16.

``I don't know which one (is) the hardest to take,'' said Matt Barnes, who, along with Dan Gadzuric and Billy Knight showed at times that wonderful promise Thursday, but as they did throughout the season simply could not respond with the consistent excellence demanded on this stage.

Barnes looked troubled when asked what had happened.

``The reason for these losses is we just haven't made plays down the stretch,'' he said, like his senior teammates, without insight.

Barnes finished with 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and controlled the game for a two-minute stretch in the second half that led to an eight-point Bruins lead. But he failed to score for the game's final 10 minutes.

Knight was 0 for 4 on 3-pointers, impotent from beyond the arc like his teammates, who combined to make just 3 of 17; the Tigers made 10 of 23.

Gadzuric finished with just 11 points, making only 4 of 9 shots, and never established inside dominance. He was outrebounded 14-8 by Missouri's big man, Arthur Johnson, despite a two-inch height advantage in a matchup he certainly was expected to have the upper hand in.

``I love these guys,'' freshman Cedric Bozeman said of the seniors. ``They stuck by me through thick and thin. I'm going to miss them big time. It just didn't work out.''

Rico Hines, who missed Thursday's game with a knee injury, and Knight came from a 1997 recruiting class deemed second-best in the nation. Gadzuric and Barnes' class of '98 was No. 1. And for the past three seasons, Bruins fans have been waiting for the payoff.

It appeared it might finally come Thursday, despite a miserable opening period.

Trailing by two at halftime, the Bruins rallied behind Barnes, who himself outscored Missouri 9-0 beginning with a lay-up just three minutes into the second period.

It was Barnes who, in last weekend's upset of No. 1-seeded Cincinnati, scored all 17 of his points in the second half to spark the Bruins, and sparking UCLA is what he did again Thursday.

By the end of run, Barnes had the Bruins on an emotional high that they eventually exploited into an eight-point lead. When Barnes' no-look, backward shovel pass to Knight led to an easy layup and a 49-41 lead, the game was the Bruins' to take.

Missouri's Kareem Rush began hitting 3-pointers and slicing into UCLA's lead, however, and when Barnes scored a layup at 10:05 to give UCLA a three-point lead, it was his final basket of the game.

``There wasn't anything they did that made a dramatic difference on Matt,'' Lavin said. ``His array of skills impacted the game across the board. It was more that we could never find an offensive flow that allowed him to continue.''

Gadzuric, whose career-high 26 points and 13 rebounds that had carried the Bruins against Cincinnati, was outplayed by Johnson down the stretch.

``We never really established ourselves in the low post,'' Lavin said. ``Even though Missouri didn't necessary finish with tip-ins, they got a lot of key tip-outs that they turned into open 3's, they kept a lot of possessions going, they prevented us from finding a rhythm.''

In the first half, the seniors alternately ignited and stifled the Bruins' offense.

Barnes made just 3 of 9 shots, Gadzuric and Knight 2 of 6. While Missouri itself flailed, missing 7 of 10 3-pointers, UCLA shot just 31 percent despite ample open looks.

The Bruins clearly were the most athletic team, and easily could have staked themselves to a sizable lead. Yet the seniors failed to take advantage of the opportunities, and happened so many times this season, and Barnes didn't have enough help in the second half when UCLA had the momentum again.

And with 46 seconds left to play, and trailing by nine, Steve Lavin conceded. He removed his seniors in favor of the youngsters who will form the core of next season's team.

``I wanted to make sure our seniors went out the way they deserved,'' Lavin said.

Missouri made sure they did.

CAPTION(S):

photo, 2 boxes

Photo:

Missouri's Travon Bryant, left, pulls down a rebound in front of UCLA senior Billy Knight on Thursday.

Julie Jacobson/Associated Press

Box:

(1) CLOSER LOOK (Shorter version ran in Valley edition)

(2) THURSDAY'S GAMES AT A GLANCE