Blog post updated Jan 6, 2013 6:30 am
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| LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 05: Kyle Anderson #5, Shabazz Muhammad #15 and David Wear #12 of the UCLA Bruins react to a lead over Stanford Cardinal as they come off the court during a timeout at Pauley Pavilion on January 5, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. The UCLA Bruins won 68-60 over Stanford Cardinal. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) |
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During the first six games of their winning streak, which included a win over No. 7 Missouri and a victory in their Pac-12 opener against California, the UCLA Bruins averaged 86 points a game in what looked like a new high-scoring brand of UCLA basketball.
Coach Ben Howland, though, is known for coaching teams with a stifling man defense and a slow-paced half-court offense. That came through more than ever in UCLA’s (12-3, 2-0 Pac-12) 68-60 win over Stanford (9-6, 0-2), their seventh straight victory.
The Cardinal shot only 34.4 percent from the field while the Bruins were only able to score 45 total points from the floor.
The win wasn’t as flashy as UCLA’s previous six victories, but it was what Howland wanted.
“Any win is beautiful,” Howland said with a smile.
The game started out slowly as UCLA took almost four minutes to score its first points, and only redshirt junior forwards David and Travis Wear were able to score until there were less 10 minutes to go in the first half.
Eventually, freshman guard Shabazz Muhammad was able to take charge and end the afternoon with 23 points and 10 rebounds on 6/12 shooting.
“The Wears started off really hot and then (Stanford) turned it up on defense,” Muhammad said. “Then in the second half, things started opening up for me, and I started scoring the ball.”
The slower pace of the game allowed UCLA to get the free throw line more consistently while still playing strong defense. Freshman guard Jordan Adams had a career-high seven steals on the night as the Bruins held the Cardinal’s shooting to more than six percent lower than their season average.
“We played really well on defense and we held them to under 40 percent shooting,” said freshman forward Kyle Anderson, who had five points, 12 rebounds and three assists.
Despite the fact that the Bruins led the majority of the game, the Cardinal were able to cut that lead to five late in the second half after Adams missed three straight free throws on one-and-one opportunities.
“We started relaxing when we were up 15,” Muhammad said. “When you relax, they’re able to get an edge on you … They tried to make a run on us, and we had to buckle down and play defense and make free throws at the end of the stretch.”
Muhammad made his last five free throws, and the team as a whole made their last nine to seal the game.
The win gave UCLA its longest winning streak since the 2008-2009 season, when the Bruins won 10 in a row.
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Coach Ben Howland, though, is known for coaching teams with a stifling man defense and a slow-paced half-court offense. That came through more than ever in UCLA’s (12-3, 2-0 Pac-12) 68-60 win over Stanford (9-6, 0-2), their seventh straight victory.
UCLA beats Stanford, 68-60, for seventh win in a row
Bruins continue on a roll after a stunning loss to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in November. A much-improved defense has led the turnabout.
By Baxter Holmes
The Los Angeles Times
6:05 PM PST, January 5, 2013
Trace the arc of UCLA's season back to its horrible loss to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.That was the flash point, when the Bruins faithful called for Coach Ben Howland's head on a platter, for massive lineup changes, for the whole foundation to be torn down and rebuilt.
It was Nov. 25. The season was six games old.
But since then, UCLA has played nine games and won eight, including seven in a row after Saturday's 68-60 triumph over Stanford in front of 10,266 at Pauley Pavilion.
The Bruins (12-3, 2-0 in Pac-12 Conference play) opened league play by sweeping the Bay Area schools and showcasing the defense Howland has long tried to instill.
Against California on Thursday, UCLA held the Golden Bears to 40% shooting from the field; against Stanford, it held the Cardinal to 34%.
Its man-to-man defense is working.
"We're really growing in that area," Howland said.
The Bruins have also found not just a dependable scorer but a closer in Shabazz Muhammad, who scored 17 of his game-high 23 points in the second half against Stanford to put another UCLA win on ice.
Teams have started to zero in on shutting down the freshman star, and the Cardinal (9-6, 0-2) slowed him in the first half, but Muhammad stayed patient.
"I don't want to rush," he said.
In the second half, Muhammad plowed toward the basket and pump faked defenders to draw fouls. He made 10 of 13 free throws; Stanford made nine of 16.
But the Cardinal, which was led by 17 points and 13 rebounds from forward Dwight Powell, played physical down low and turned 15 offensive rebounds into 22 second-chance points to keep the game within reach.
UCLA also helped keep it interesting. It had a 15-point lead with 6 minutes 32 seconds left, but then committed eight turnovers and missed a slew of shots as that lead was whittled to five points.
"We started relaxing," Muhammad said after the Bruins finished with 14 turnovers, one more than they had in their previous two games combined.
A killer instinct, it seems, is one key aspect this UCLA team is lacking.
But the Bruins were able to hang on for what could only be called an ugly win.
"Any win is beautiful," Howland said.
Muhammad finished with 10 rebounds a day after Howland challenged his effort in that area.
"I try to answer" any challenge, Muhammad said. "I'm such a competitive person, with everything."
Jordan Adams recorded a career-high seven steals to go along with 12 points, but he missed four free throws, uncharacteristic for the sharpshooting guard.
Kyle Anderson had 12 rebounds, his sixth game with double figures in that area.
And the Wear twins, Travis and David, combined for 19 points, including the team's first 15.
Stanford Coach Johnny Dawkins waited 56 minutes after the game to speak with the media because he was meeting with his team, a length of time he called a personal best.
For UCLA, the Bruins are on a roll and picking up more steam after sweeping through a six-game homestand.
But, again, trace the season back to the San Luis Obispo loss.
"We're such a different team from back then," Muhammad said.
Said Anderson: "We bought into playing defense and a collective effort to help each other out."
Now, the question remains: What kind of team will UCLA be going forward?
As of now, the Bruins' future appears to be only one thing: Bright.
baxter.holmes@latimes.com
twitter.com/BaxterHolmes
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/ ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Published: Jan. 5, 2013 Updated: 9:47 p.m.
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UCLA's Shabazz Muhammad, center, is defended by Stanford's Dwight Powell, left, and Rosco Allen during the second half in Los Angeles.
JAE C. HONG, ASSOCIATED PRESS
/ ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Published: Jan. 5, 2013 Updated: 9:47 p.m.
LOS ANGELES – It was just the kind of physical, knock-down, drag-out early conference matchup that could've caught a young, inexperienced UCLA team off-balance — both teams shooting less than 36 percent in the first half, while turnovers were more common than assists.
But what the Bruins lack in experience in their young, seven-man rotation, they've made up for in patience and good defense in their first two Pac-12 games. That was especially true Saturday afternoon, as UCLA (12-3, 2-0) pulled away late in its ugly matchup with Stanford, 68-60 — again on the shoulders of freshman Shabazz Muhammad.
Few players in the nation have had better timing or been cooler in the clutch than Muhammad, and judging by the amped-up defensive effort from UCLA's recent opponents, he's starting to get the defensive respect that comes with that sort of distinction. But for Stanford (9-6, 0-2), as it was for Cal in the second-half of Thursday's game, those efforts were again for naught.
For the second consecutive game, Muhammad started off painfully slow on offense, shooting just 1 of 4 from the field after starting 1 of 7 Thursday. Without him, the Bruins were led, unexpectedly, by 15 consecutive points from Travis and David Wear to open the game, as it wasn't until 7:08 remained in the first half that any Bruin other than the Wears got anything to drop from the field. It's the kind of start that isn't quite in the wheelhouse of a young team that has relied a great deal so far on scoring a lot of points, not on defense — even if that trend seems to be changing.
"It's very difficult," UCLA coach Ben Howland said. "The way they played, they were very physical with us early. It was intense."
But through just a dozen games in his UCLA career, Muhammad has thrived off that sort of intensity — his eyes seemingly widening as the Bruins needed a scorer to push the game out of reach down the stretch. That killer instinct kicked in less than two minutes into the second half, as Muhammad hit two jumpers, sprinted down the floor and collected a defensive rebound all in the course of a single minute. Two minutes later, the Bruins' leading scorer drilled a 3-pointer — giving him double figures in all 12 games he's played in so far. A switch, as it has many times already this season, had flipped.
After that seven-point stretch and a 17-point second-half performance that pushed the Bruins to victory, it was patience, Muhammad said, that led to his outburst as he finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds.
"I just let the game come to me," Muhammad said. "I don't want to rush. I thought we were going off to a good start. The Wears started off really hot, and we were going to let them do their thing. ... I'm just trying to help my team out any way I can. And in the second half, things started to open up for me, and I started scoring the ball."
That kind of patience and willingness to do the little things — Muhammad tallied seven defensive rebounds after Howland questioned his skills on the defensive boards Thursday — has quickly made Muhammad the centerpiece of UCLA's hot start, as the Bruins have won seven in a row — their first such streak since 2008-09.
Calm and collected, Muhammad took to the free-throw line with the Bruins up by just six with 45 seconds remaining, having watched fellow freshman and free-throw extraordinaire Jordan Adams miss three consecutive one-and-ones. But after missing his first attempt, Muhammad made his next five, helping put away a pesky, less-talented Stanford team.
"Just because you don't start out fast," Howland said after the game, "it's how you finish the game that counts."
And for Muhammad and the Bruins, the finish — however ugly the game might have began — is certainly all that mattered.
Contact the writer: rkartje@ocregister.com
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UCLA 68, STANFORD 60: Muhammad answers the bell for Bruins
Posted: 01/05/2013 06:16:42 PM PST
Updated: 01/05/2013 06:20:39 PM PST
UCLA's Shabazz Muhammad, left, walks past head coach Ben Howland during the second half Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013, at Pauley Pavilion. UCLA won 68-60. ((AP Photo/Jae C. Hong))
Then, the head coach pointed out his rebounding: "He's not going with the same emphasis that he goes on offense."
So Muhammad did that too. In an ugly but convincing 68-60 win over Stanford at Saturday afternoon, the freshman notched his second career double-double - his 6-foot-4 frame a whirling catalyst that twisted its way to 23 points and 10 rebounds.
"I try to answer the bell," he said. "I'm just a competitive person in anything."
UCLA (12-3, 2-0) finished its six-game homestand undefeated behind the star recruit's efforts, extending its winning streak to seven games - the team's best surge since 10 straight victories in the 2008-09 season.
In what is becoming a bit of a pattern for the touted freshman, Muhammad started the game with a lackluster 1-of-4 shooting performance, making him 2 for 13 in first halves this week. Some of that, Howland said, was due to the opposing defenses focusing more of their energy on the slimmed-down star.
During Thursday night's win over California, Muhammad turned his energy toward hounding Bears guard Allen Crabbe, and eventually finished with 16 points of his own. Against the Cardinal, it was much of the same.
Muhammad turned his efforts toward hitting the defensive boards, where he was tasked with boxing out Stanford's Josh Huestis - who entered the game tied as the Pac-12's leading offensive rebounder. The UCLA swingman grabbed six of his 10 caroms in the first half.
Then, the scoring came. Two minutes after the break, Muhammad scored seven straight points for the Bruins.
Perhaps no other play highlighted his second-half burst as one that he couldn't quite complete. Midway through the second half, the nation's No. 1 recruit streaked down the lane and was an inch or so short of a poster-quality dunk.
"I just let the game come to me," Muhammad said. "I don't want to rush. I thought we were getting off to a good start. - I was just trying to help our team out any way I can."
While he and freshman Jordan Adams struggled to find their shots, Travis and David Wear helped the Bruins keep pace early by scoring the team's first 15 points. UCLA took the lead at 14:01, and never relinquished it for the remaining 35 minutes.
The Cardinal cut the lead to 59-54 with 1:18 left in the game, helped by UCLA's four straight missed free throws. In a loose ball scrum shortly after, Stanford tried to call a timeout it didn't have, sending Muhammad to the line for two technical-foul free throws. He converted both, and the Bruins coasted the rest of the way.
Stanford head coach Johnny Dawkins was so frustrated afterward that he kept his team in the locker room for nearly an hour before coming out to speak to the media.
"We held UCLA way under their scoring average, but we have to do a lot better at making shots," Dawkins said. "We missed too many point-blank shots."
Forward Dwight Powell was a bright spot for the visitors, logging his third-career double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds. He committed seven turnovers, the last of which was picked off by Adams for a career-high seven steals.
jack.wang@dailynews.com twitter.com/thejackwang
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via Yahoo!Sports.com
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Barely a month ago, UCLA had lost two of
three games and fallen out of the Top 25. Now, the Bruins are rolling.
Jordan Adams added 12 points and Kyle Anderson had 12 rebounds for the Bruins (12-3, 2-0 Pac-12), who are on their longest run of consecutive wins since taking 10 in a row during the 2008-09 season. They won their eighth straight at home against Stanford, and 11th in their last 12.
The victory allowed UCLA to complete a sweep on opening weekend of Pac-12 play. The Bruins beat California 79-65 on Thursday.
''A win is a beautiful thing,'' UCLA coach Ben Howland said after being asked about the ugliness of a game that included a combined 28 turnovers.
Six of the Bruins' seven wins during the current streak have come at home. Before the streak began at Texas on Dec. 8, they were upset at home by Cal Poly and lost on a neutral court to ranked San Diego State.
''We're like a whole different team,'' Muhammad said.
Anderson agreed, saying, ''We bought into playing defense and a collective effort to help each other out.''
Dwight Powell had 17 points and tied his career high with 13 rebounds, and Chasson Randle added 17 points for Stanford (9-6, 0-2). The Cardinal lost at Southern California 71-69 two days earlier, and they fell to 9-29 on the road in conference play dating to the 2008-09 season. They have dropped 15 of their last 16 on the Los Angeles road trip.
Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins kept his locker room closed for 56 minutes after the game.
''It was a record for me,'' he said about the lengthy team meeting. ''We talked about what we have to do to get better and it was a conversation involving everyone. We held UCLA way under their scoring average, but we have to do a lot better at making shots. We missed too many point-blank shots.''
The Bruins built a 15-point lead with 6:33 to play, but they got sloppy. UCLA committed eight turnovers while Stanford scored nine of the next 11 points to close to 57-49. John Gage, who finished with 10 points, scored five in a row in the spurt.
''We started relaxing,'' Muhammad said. ''They get an edge on you. We had to buckle down and play 'D' and make free throws down the stretch.''
Larry Drew II, who had seven assists, made a layup that restored UCLA's lead to 10 points. Then Adams missed three straight one-and-ones, while Randle hit a layup and 3-pointer to get Stanford to 59-54 with 47 seconds left.
The Bruins converted 9 of 10 free throws after Adams' misses, which Howland described as ''an odd occurrence.''
The Bruins' high-octane offense sputtered in the slow-moving game. They came in averaging a Pac-12-leading 80.8 points and they'd averaged 90.2 in their previous five games. They were 21 of 51 from the floor and had 14 turnovers, as did the Cardinal.
But they held Stanford to 34 percent shooting in the game.
''We talked about playing more together and we talked about offense and defense and lots of things,'' Powell said. ''The coach is passionate and he is all about winning.''
Muhammad started slowly for the second straight game before picking up his scoring in the second half.
''I don't want to rush,'' he said. ''The Wears started off really hot and I let them do their thing and I played defense.''
Both teams shot poorly in the first half of a game that tipped off at noon PST. The Bruins were 9 of 25 from the field - missing their first six shots and trailing by four points - while the Cardinal were 7 of 26.
The Wear twins combined to score UCLA's first 15 points. Travis Wear had seven in a row before David scored the next eight, including back-to-back 3-pointers to extend the Bruins' lead to 15-11.
UCLA used a 6-3 run to end the half leading 30-22.
By Peter Yoon | ESPNLosAngeles.com
LOS ANGELES -- Shabazz Muhammad scored 17 of his 23 points in the second half and the UCLA Bruins (12-3, 2-0 Pac-12) held off a pesky Stanford Cardinal (9-6, 0-2), 68-60, Saturday in a PAC-12 game at Pauley Pavilion. It is the seventh consecutive victory for UCLA, the longest win streak for the Bruins since winning 10 in a row in 2008-09. A quick breakdown:
How it happened: The Bruins led 55-40 with 6:32 to play and were still up 59-49 with 2:09 to go, but they committed six turnovers during a seven-possession stretch and struggled from the free throw line down the stretch to allow Stanford to stick around.
Jordan Adams missed the front end of three consecutive one-and-one opportunities and Muhammad made only one of two free throws during a 45-second stretch in the final two minutes as Stanford closed the deficit to 59-54 with 47 seconds to play. The Bruins managed to pull it together from the line after that as Muhammad and David Wear made six of six to close out the game.
UCLA turned in its second consecutive strong defensive showing, holding Stanford to 34.4 percent shooting, including 26.9 (7-for-26) in the first half. In their last game, UCLA held California to 39.5 percent.
Stanford actually made two if its first three shots and had the early lead at 4-0, but the Cardinal were only 5-for-23 for the rest of the first half. UCLA twins Travis and David Wear provided the spark to turn the game in UCLA's favor, combining for the first 15 UCLA points as the Bruins took a 15-11 lead and did not trail again in the game.
Muhammad, who finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds, scored six points in the final seven minutes of the first half and Larry Drew II drove the lane for a layup in the waning seconds of the half to give UCLA a 30-22 halftime lead.
Player of the game: Muhammad led the team in scoring, but it was his rebounding that made a difference. It was his first double-digit rebounding performance since grabbing 10 boards Nov. 25 against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He had a season-high seven defensive rebounds.
Stat of the game: UCLA committing 14 turnovers -- its most since Dec. 15 -- but Drew II had seven assists and only one turnover. On the Bruins' six-game homestand, Drew II had 54 assists and seven turnovers.
What it means: UCLA is 2-0 in Pac-12 play for the first time since 2008-09, but now must prove itself on the road as it heads to Utah and Colorado next week. The Bruins also struggled to finish the game Saturday, so it will be a test to see if they can do so without the home crowd if they get into a similar situation.
What’s next: UCLA will play its first true road game of the season Thursday night at Utah. The game is at 6:30 p.m PT.
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Rapid Reaction: UCLA 68, Stanford 60
By Peter Yoon | ESPNLosAngeles.com
January, 5, 2013
2:26 PM PT
LOS ANGELES -- Shabazz Muhammad scored 17 of his 23 points in the second half and the UCLA Bruins (12-3, 2-0 Pac-12) held off a pesky Stanford Cardinal (9-6, 0-2), 68-60, Saturday in a PAC-12 game at Pauley Pavilion. It is the seventh consecutive victory for UCLA, the longest win streak for the Bruins since winning 10 in a row in 2008-09. A quick breakdown:
How it happened: The Bruins led 55-40 with 6:32 to play and were still up 59-49 with 2:09 to go, but they committed six turnovers during a seven-possession stretch and struggled from the free throw line down the stretch to allow Stanford to stick around.
Jordan Adams missed the front end of three consecutive one-and-one opportunities and Muhammad made only one of two free throws during a 45-second stretch in the final two minutes as Stanford closed the deficit to 59-54 with 47 seconds to play. The Bruins managed to pull it together from the line after that as Muhammad and David Wear made six of six to close out the game.
UCLA turned in its second consecutive strong defensive showing, holding Stanford to 34.4 percent shooting, including 26.9 (7-for-26) in the first half. In their last game, UCLA held California to 39.5 percent.
Stanford actually made two if its first three shots and had the early lead at 4-0, but the Cardinal were only 5-for-23 for the rest of the first half. UCLA twins Travis and David Wear provided the spark to turn the game in UCLA's favor, combining for the first 15 UCLA points as the Bruins took a 15-11 lead and did not trail again in the game.
Muhammad, who finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds, scored six points in the final seven minutes of the first half and Larry Drew II drove the lane for a layup in the waning seconds of the half to give UCLA a 30-22 halftime lead.
Player of the game: Muhammad led the team in scoring, but it was his rebounding that made a difference. It was his first double-digit rebounding performance since grabbing 10 boards Nov. 25 against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He had a season-high seven defensive rebounds.
Stat of the game: UCLA committing 14 turnovers -- its most since Dec. 15 -- but Drew II had seven assists and only one turnover. On the Bruins' six-game homestand, Drew II had 54 assists and seven turnovers.
What it means: UCLA is 2-0 in Pac-12 play for the first time since 2008-09, but now must prove itself on the road as it heads to Utah and Colorado next week. The Bruins also struggled to finish the game Saturday, so it will be a test to see if they can do so without the home crowd if they get into a similar situation.
What’s next: UCLA will play its first true road game of the season Thursday night at Utah. The game is at 6:30 p.m PT.
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