UCLA edge tough USC game in College Basketball at Pauley Pavillion (2/07)

The UCLA- USC rivalry had heated on the basketball court since the last game when
the Bruins won at the end after a back and forth game. The Trojans looked eager to
revenge that loss and came out with tons of energy. The crowd was buzzing and it
doesn’t get much louder in Pauley Pavillion it did on February 7, 07 vs USC. The
Bruins completed the city sweep with a come from behind 70-65 win in front of a sold
out vociferous fan base. UCLA’s top 2 players had off nights but the 2nd ranked
team in the country behind Coach Ben Howland pulled away at the end after trailing
by as much as 10 points in the first half. The key to the game was UCLA scoring
24-31 from the free throw stripe while USC was only 3-5. You can’t play defense on
free throws. The Trojans shot 54% for the game while UCLA shot 45% but 21 extra
points from the charity line was huge. Coach Howland spoke after the game and
complimented his team on a well fought victory but also spoke highly of USC as well
as the emerging PAC 10 conference and many great teams.
Senior Lodrick Stewart who hit many key shots early, did not show experienced
composure getting hit for a technical foul late in the game which hurt USC’s
chances. Arron Afflalo and Josh Shipp were held down but Darren Collison and Mbah
a Moute picked up the slack. Nick Young of USC had a very good game including some
incredible shots to keep the score close. He was their best player tonight while
UCLA honors had to go to Collison who scored and controlled the game throughout.
Afflalo made 9-10 free throws but was only 3-11 in field goals. Coach Tim Floyd had
his team well prepared and they had a great game plan but couldn’t hit open shots as
the game went on. Another unheralded player for UCLA was Luc Richard Mbah a Moute
who controlled the boards grabbing 10 rebounds, scoring 11 points and playing great
defense. UCLA leads the PAC 10 Conference and is ranked #2 in the country behind
Florida as the NCAA tournament draws closer. Up next is West Virginia (unranked but
tough at home as they beat UCLA last year at Pauley Pavillion). This will be a tough
road test for the Bruins but things are looking great for this year and the future.
The Bruins do not have any significant seniors on the team so unless Afflalo leaves
early, they will be one of the teams to beat next year as well. More information at
www.uclabruins.cstv.com