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 |  Shabazz Muhammad |
UCLA Men's Basketball
Feb. 10, 2013
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| UCLA's Updated Stats
LOS ANGELES - Shabazz Muhammad scored a game-high 17 points to lead the UCLA men's basketball team past Washington State, 76-62, before 10,090 in Pauley Pavilion in a Pac-12 contest on Saturday night.
UCLA (18-6, 8-3 Pac-12) registered its eighth consecutive win over Washington State (11-13, 2-9) and has won 16 of the last 17 meetings between the two programs.
Muhammad led a group of four double-digit scorers for UCLA - Jordan Adams had 14 points, Kyle Anderson finished with 12 and Travis Weartallied 11. Muhammad has scored in double figures in 20 of 21 games for the Bruins this season.
"That was an important win for us," UCLA head coach Ben Howland said. "We finished up a good week with that win. They came out and made what seemed like their first five shots, but we dug in and held them without a basket for a long period of time."
Brock Motum led Washington State with 17 points, and Royce Woolridge totaled 16 points.
UCLA claimed a 39-24 halftime advantage after holding the visiting Cougars to a stretch of 9 minutes, 3 seconds without any points. The Bruins led by an 18-16 margin at the 13:10 mark and used a 14-0 scoring run over the next 8:44 to secure a 32-16 cushion.
Washington State opened the game making three of its first four shots - all of the 3-point variety - and led 9-7 after the game's first 3:34. The Cougars did not score a two-point basket until the 3:41 mark in the first half.
"There was a lot of unselfishness out there tonight, which was a key to scoring points and getting open shots," Anderson said. "We've had a lot of extra nights working on our shooting. It paid off tonight when we were able to hit our open shots."
Anderson finished with 12 points, seven assists, three rebounds, two blocked shots and two steals. The freshman from Fairview, N.J., scored in double figures for the 12th time this season.
Washington State reduced UCLA's cushion in the second half to as few as 10 points. The Cougars used an 11-3 scoring run to cut the Bruins' advantage to 70-60 with 3:07 remaining in regulation.Larry Drew II made a pair of free throws with 1:46 to play and Adams' two free throw shots with 1:07 remaining pushed UCLA's lead to 74-60.
UCLA returns to action at California on Thursday, Feb. 14. Game time at Haas Pavilion is slated for 6 p.m. The Pac-12 contest will be nationally televised on ESPN2.
Feb. 10, 2013
Box Score | Box Score (PDF)
| Video Highlights Photo Gallery
| UCLA's Updated Stats LOS ANGELES - Shabazz Muhammad scored a game-high 17 points to lead the UCLA men's basketball team past Washington State, 76-62, before 10,090 in Pauley Pavilion in a Pac-12 contest on Saturday night.
UCLA (18-6, 8-3 Pac-12) registered its eighth consecutive win over Washington State (11-13, 2-9) and has won 16 of the last 17 meetings between the two programs.
Muhammad led a group of four double-digit scorers for UCLA - Jordan Adams had 14 points, Kyle Anderson finished with 12 and Travis Weartallied 11. Muhammad has scored in double figures in 20 of 21 games for the Bruins this season.
"That was an important win for us," UCLA head coach Ben Howland said. "We finished up a good week with that win. They came out and made what seemed like their first five shots, but we dug in and held them without a basket for a long period of time."
Brock Motum led Washington State with 17 points, and Royce Woolridge totaled 16 points.
UCLA claimed a 39-24 halftime advantage after holding the visiting Cougars to a stretch of 9 minutes, 3 seconds without any points. The Bruins led by an 18-16 margin at the 13:10 mark and used a 14-0 scoring run over the next 8:44 to secure a 32-16 cushion.
Washington State opened the game making three of its first four shots - all of the 3-point variety - and led 9-7 after the game's first 3:34. The Cougars did not score a two-point basket until the 3:41 mark in the first half.
"There was a lot of unselfishness out there tonight, which was a key to scoring points and getting open shots," Anderson said. "We've had a lot of extra nights working on our shooting. It paid off tonight when we were able to hit our open shots."
Anderson finished with 12 points, seven assists, three rebounds, two blocked shots and two steals. The freshman from Fairview, N.J., scored in double figures for the 12th time this season.
Washington State reduced UCLA's cushion in the second half to as few as 10 points. The Cougars used an 11-3 scoring run to cut the Bruins' advantage to 70-60 with 3:07 remaining in regulation.Larry Drew II made a pair of free throws with 1:46 to play and Adams' two free throw shots with 1:07 remaining pushed UCLA's lead to 74-60.
UCLA returns to action at California on Thursday, Feb. 14. Game time at Haas Pavilion is slated for 6 p.m. The Pac-12 contest will be nationally televised on ESPN2.
Team-first UCLA romps to victory
Bruins' Kyle Anderson momentarily loses control of the ball at Pauley Pavilion Saturday.
ROD VEAL, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
By RYAN KARTJE / ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Published: Feb. 9, 2013 Updated: Feb. 10, 2013 12:24 a.m.
LOS ANGELES – Shortly after Shabazz Muhammad's muted reaction to Larry Drew II's buzzer beater to beat Washington on Thursday made its rounds on the Internet, overshadowing the actual shot and labeling the Bruins freshman as a selfish star, Muhammad and his Bruins offered a pointed response Saturday night.
UCLA manhandled Washington State to complete a weekend home sweep of the Washington schools, while shooting 62 percent — its highest percentage from the field since February 2010 — and refusing to even once relinquish the lead it took four minutes into the game.
With that kind of offensive efficiency, it wasn't long before the Bruins were in cruise control, rolling to a 76-62 victory.
But it wasn't the triumph itself that was the story since UCLA (18-6, 8-3 Pac-12) nearly put away the Cougars (11-13, 2-9) by halftime. Instead, it was the unselfishness with which the offense operated, performing like a well-oiled machine and flying in the face of an opposition that tagged Muhammad as selfish just days before.
Muhammad seemed set on making that statement from the game's first play, which ended in an unlikely assist to Kyle Anderson under the basket. It was a theme — and a statement — that continued to resonate all night as four Bruins scored in double figures and a variety of players assisted on 22 of the 31 baskets.
"Just trying to get everybody involved," Muhammad said. "We're playing so unselfish. Like you see today, we had a lot of assists, our percentage was really high on the offensive end. Four guys in double digits — we really played well as a team."
That team-first mentality made an undeniable difference in the way UCLA's offense flowed, as the ball seamlessly moved up the court and around the perimeter with the Bruins looking as patient as they have all season on the offensive end.
Of course, Washington State's zone defense — which afforded UCLA plenty of opportunities to drill open perimeter tries — made a distinct difference, as the Bruins found a great deal more open shots than they had in their past three games, all of which ended with UCLA shooting below 40 percent from the field.
"We got some good looks and open shots by really being unselfish and making the extra pass," Coach Ben Howland said. "When we play like that, we're a really good offensive team."
The Bruins were at their best against the Cougars, as their offensive balance reminded some of why Howland's squad was picked as a potential top-15 team.
Muhammad led the scoring with 17 points and shot much more effectively from the field — 7 of 14 — than he had in his previous two games. Fellow freshman Jordan Adams also broke out of a shooting slump with a 5-of-8 effort, finishing with 14 points.
Even Anderson, who had struggled mightily with his jump shot, looked as poised as he has during the Pac-12 season, shooting 6 of 7 for 12 points and adding 12 assists.
Rebounding was still a notable problem, as Washington State was able to pull down 15 offensive rebounds on 32 missed field goals and outrebounded the Bruins by nine — a pretty inexplicable stat for UCLA.
But with an improved effort on the defensive end and the unselfish play of an offense that has, on several occasions this season, slipped into AAU-style isolation ball, this victory was important, considering the tough stretch UCLA has ahead.
"We're right there," Howland said. "It's just one game at a time. ... We're getting better. We're improving."
Contact the writer: rkartje@ocregister.com
UCLA 76, WASHINGTON STATE 62: Bruins shoot at least 60 percent for first time in three years in victory over Cougars
LA Daily News
Posted: 02/09/2013 10:12:41 PM PST
Updated: 02/09/2013 11:06:07 PM PST
When in doubt, UCLA needs to only check its schedule for Cougars.
The Bruins entered Saturday night having lost three of their last five, their latest victory requiring a buzzer-beating game-winner. They had spent three straight games trying to set new lows in shooting percentage, achieving that in Thursday's ugly win over Washington.
Hardly a full tailspin, but this was a team in a slow, steady spiral.
That changed when Washington State walked into Pauley Pavilion and practically gifted UCLA a 76-62 win. After the Cougars opened the game with five straight 3-pointers, their offense slowed to unsightly levels - rarely generating good looks and clanking what they did create.
Fourth-year head coach Ken Bone left town with a familiar result, empty-handed against the Bruins (18-6, 8-3) for the seventh time.
Think he's tired of seeing blue and gold? Well, UCLA shot at least 60 percent from the field for the first time since Feb. 18, 2010. Guess who was on the other end of that one.
Meanwhile, the Bruins ran the breakneck transition game that had gone missing through much of the calendar year. UCLA shot above 50 percent for the first time in a home conference game this season, notching 22 assists on 31 baskets.
"We got some good looks, some open shots by really being unselfish and making the extra pass," head coach Ben Howland said. "When we play like that, we're a very good offensive team."
Added freshman Shabazz Muhammad: "I think we're really starting to get our confidence back."
Muhammad scored a game-high 17 points, the swingman's 20th double-digit effort in 21 games. Guard Jordan Adams also broke out of a shooting slump, hitting his first 3-pointer in two weeks and finishing with 14 points.
Washington State's leading scorer Brock Motum was silent as UCLA - which led by as much as 20 - opened the gap. Motum scored just four first-half points on 1-of-6 shooting. He finished with 17 points to tie Muhammad, but shot just 40 percent.
Stymied by the Bruins, Washington State went without a field goal for over nine minutes before the break - a drought that finally ended when little-used guard Will DiIorio tipped in a basket at 3:36.
Washington State (11-13, 2-9) closed to within 10 points on a 13-3 run late in the second half, but Drew hit two free throws to extend the lead to 12 with under two minutes to go.
The only blemish on UCLA's night was its 31-22 rebounding deficit. It marked the 10th time the Bruins have lost on the boards in 12 games.
"I think we started to wear down a little bit," Howland said. "I bet they had the ball 23-plus minutes tonight. That's part of the strategy, when you're down, to make you play (defense) for long periods of time. Our blockouts got shaky in the second half."
Bruins find an easy target in victory over Cougars
UCLA shoots 62% from the field and has no trouble in beating Washington State, 76-62, at Pauley Pavilion.
By Chris Foster
9:50 PM PST, February 9, 2013
The Cougars were a day at the spa for the Bruins, a chance to work out the kinks. The 76-62 victory over the hapless Cougars at Pauley Pavilion was the sorbet between heavy courses.
Now comes the meaty part of the schedule.
The victory left the Bruins (18-6, 8-3 Pac-12) either tied for second with Oregon or tied for first, depending on whether seventh-ranked Arizona can handle California on Sunday. But the Bruins play five of their last seven regular-season games on the road.
"This is a tough conference," guard Kyle Anderson said. "Every game is tough."
Well, not every game.
The Bruins needed a last-second jumper by Larry Drew II to beat Washington on Thursday. That type of heroics was not going to be necessary to beat the last-place Cougars (11-13, 2-9).
Still, Anderson said, "I think Coach is happy with us."
The 22 assists as a team certainly made Coach Ben Howland smile.
"We got some good looks and open shots by being unselfish and making the extra pass," Howland said. "When we play like that, then we're a very good offensive team."
UCLA shot 62%. The last time the Bruins shot better than 60% was against Washington State in 2010.
Drew had eight assists and Anderson seven. Shabazz Muhammad even had two, but Muhammad was not brought to UCLA to pass. He had 17 points, leading four Bruins in double figures.
When the stat-fest was over, the Bruins were about where they expected to be in the standings.
"This is great, because we're 8-3, we're right there now," Howland said.
Staying there will require a little road work, something Howland put a positive spin on. "Sometimes with a young team, going on the road there are less distractions," he said. "In some ways it could be a good thing."
Howland also noted that a number of Pac-12 teams have lost at home this season.
"I don't know how to explain, except that anybody can beat anybody," Howland said. "It's hard to win in this conference whether you're home or on the road."
It's tough for Washington State to win against UCLA anywhere. The Cougars would have to win the next 88 games against the Bruins to even the series.
This one was over about the time the Bruins broke a sweat. They went on a 14-0 run, holding the Cougars scoreless for nine minutes, to take a 32-16 lead.
All the recent offensive struggles for UCLA evaporated.
The Bruins had shot under 40% the last three games. But the Cougars rarely contested jump shots and often gave safe passage on drives to the basket.
It made for a lot of healing. Jordan Adams, who was 15 for 42 from the field the previous three games, made five of eight shots and scored 14 points. Anderson, who was seven for 28 the last three games, made six of seven and scored 12.
chris.foster@latimes.com
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Rapid Reaction: UCLA 76, Washington State 62
February, 9, 2013
FEB 9
9:31
PM PT
By Peter Yoon | ESPNLosAngeles.com
LOS ANGELES -- The UCLA Bruins won consecutive games for the first time since Jan. 12 and 17 after beating the Washington State Cougars, 76-62, on Saturday night at Pauley Pavilion. Here's a quick look:
How it happened: In what appeared would be a blowout, Washington State cut a 19-point UCLA lead to 10 with 3:05 left to play, but the Bruins held off the charge.
Washington State came out hot in the second half with baskets on its first four possessions, but UCLA matched the Cougars until a late cold stretch. The Cougars went on a 13-3 run to cut UCLA's lead to 70-60, but the Cougars were not able to get closer than 10 points as Larry Drew II and Jordan Adams each made a pair of free throws down the stretch and Tony Parker scored inside to seal the game.
The Cougars made three consecutive 3-point baskets and led, 9-7, to start the game, but the Bruins broke it open by holding the Cougars scoreless for a stretch of 9 minutes, 3 seconds and led, 32-17, late in the first half. Shabazz Muhammad scored 12 points in the first half, including 10 of UCLA's first 21, as the Bruins took a 39-24 lead into the halftime locker room.
Cougars leading scorer Brock Motum scored nine of his 17 points in the final 10 minutes of the game. Motum, the Pac-12's leading scorer last year and third in the conference with 18.2 points per game entering the game, had only four points on 1-for-6 shooting in the first half. He ended up making 6-of-15 shots.
Muhammad matched Motum for a game-high with 17 points. Adams had 14, Kyle Andersonhad 12 and Travis Wear added 11.
Player of the game: Muhammad's hot start got the Bruins the cushion they needed and helped key the easy victory. He added two steals and two assists, the first time this season he has had more than one of each in a game. He made seven of 14 shots, including a 3-point basket with about four minutes to go that kept Washington State from fully gaining the momentum.
Stat of the game: UCLA shot a season-high 62 percent (31-for-50) for the game. It was the first time since Feb. 18, 2010 they have shot better than 60 percent in a game. The Cougars shot 40.7 percent (22 of 54) from the field but did not make a 2-point shot until there was 3:41 left in the first half.
What it means: The Bruins took care of business against a team they should have -- something they were unable to do last week against USC. As a result, UCLA remains in a tie with Oregon for second place in the Pac-12 standings. They are a half game behind Arizona, which plays California Sunday at 4 p.m. PT.
What's next: UCLA heads to the Bay Area next week for a two-game trip beginning Thursday at California at 6 p.m. PT on ESPN2. Washington State is home Wednesday at 6 p.m. against Oregon State.
How it happened: In what appeared would be a blowout, Washington State cut a 19-point UCLA lead to 10 with 3:05 left to play, but the Bruins held off the charge.
Washington State came out hot in the second half with baskets on its first four possessions, but UCLA matched the Cougars until a late cold stretch. The Cougars went on a 13-3 run to cut UCLA's lead to 70-60, but the Cougars were not able to get closer than 10 points as Larry Drew II and Jordan Adams each made a pair of free throws down the stretch and Tony Parker scored inside to seal the game.The Cougars made three consecutive 3-point baskets and led, 9-7, to start the game, but the Bruins broke it open by holding the Cougars scoreless for a stretch of 9 minutes, 3 seconds and led, 32-17, late in the first half. Shabazz Muhammad scored 12 points in the first half, including 10 of UCLA's first 21, as the Bruins took a 39-24 lead into the halftime locker room.
Cougars leading scorer Brock Motum scored nine of his 17 points in the final 10 minutes of the game. Motum, the Pac-12's leading scorer last year and third in the conference with 18.2 points per game entering the game, had only four points on 1-for-6 shooting in the first half. He ended up making 6-of-15 shots.
Muhammad matched Motum for a game-high with 17 points. Adams had 14, Kyle Andersonhad 12 and Travis Wear added 11.
Player of the game: Muhammad's hot start got the Bruins the cushion they needed and helped key the easy victory. He added two steals and two assists, the first time this season he has had more than one of each in a game. He made seven of 14 shots, including a 3-point basket with about four minutes to go that kept Washington State from fully gaining the momentum.
Stat of the game: UCLA shot a season-high 62 percent (31-for-50) for the game. It was the first time since Feb. 18, 2010 they have shot better than 60 percent in a game. The Cougars shot 40.7 percent (22 of 54) from the field but did not make a 2-point shot until there was 3:41 left in the first half.
What it means: The Bruins took care of business against a team they should have -- something they were unable to do last week against USC. As a result, UCLA remains in a tie with Oregon for second place in the Pac-12 standings. They are a half game behind Arizona, which plays California Sunday at 4 p.m. PT.
What's next: UCLA heads to the Bay Area next week for a two-game trip beginning Thursday at California at 6 p.m. PT on ESPN2. Washington State is home Wednesday at 6 p.m. against Oregon State.
Return of unselfish play keys UCLA win
February, 9, 2013
FEB 9
11:14
PM PT
By Peter Yoon | ESPNLosAngeles.com
LOS ANGELES -- Share and share alike became the UCLA Bruins' team motto during a 76-62 victory over Washington State on Saturday night at Pauley Pavilion.
All it took star was player Shabazz Muhammad getting called out nationally for being selfish because of his reaction, or lack thereof, after Larry Drew II's buzzer-beater Thursday in a victory over Washington.
Muhammad wasted little time putting his unselfishness on display against Washington State when he got an assist to Kyle Anderson on UCLA's first basket of the game.
The team-first attitude quickly rubbed off on the other Bruins, leading to 22 UCLA assists -- its most in a game in seven weeks -- and four players reaching double-figure scoring with Drew (nine points and eight assists) barely missing out.
"There was a lot of unselfishness," said Anderson, who had 12 points and seven assists. "That was the key to us scoring points and getting open shots. We just came out with the mindset of being unselfish and moving the ball around, and it would make it easy for us."
The result for UCLA was a season-high 62 percent shooting from the field. It was the first time since Feb. 18, 2010 that the Bruins had shot higher than 60 percent in a game. It also broke the Bruins out of a shooting slump in which they had failed to shoot better than 38.2 percent over the previous three games.
It was all because of the willingness of the team to spread the ball around, coach Ben Howland said.
"Part of it is we got some good looks and open shots by really being unselfish and making the extra pass," Howland said. "When we play like that, then we're a very good offensive team."
It's a team that has been MIA of late. The Bruins had only nine assists and shot 33.3 percent Thursday against Washington -- a wake-up call of sorts that reminded them just how much their offense relies on sharing the ball.
Muhammad became the face of UCLA's recent selfish play when he failed to join the team in celebration after Drew's game-winning shot Thursday night. "SportsCenter" pointed out Muhammad walking past the celebratory dog pile without even glancing at it, and that became a topic of conversation on sports radio and television sports talk shows throughout Friday.
Muhammad said the media and public reaction was a little overblown.
"They blew it out of proportion," he said. "It was nothing. Everybody was on the floor. I didn't want to kill Larry. I really congratulated him after the game."
He took it in stride, though, as he did a couple of weeks ago when his Gucci backpack became a national sensation for a day. He said that type of scrutiny comes with the territory of being one of the nation's top high school recruits and part of a Bruin recruitingclass that was ranked No. 1 in the nation.
"That's one thing you have to take being a top-recruited player," Muhammad said. "All of us if we're doing something wrong it's going to be blown out of proportion, so you just have to know and be smart and keep playing."
On Saturday, Muhammad made it clear early that he could, indeed, be a team player. He missed a 3-point shot on UCLA's second offensive possession, grabbed his own long rebound and drove to the basket as if he were going to put up the floater that he shoots so often. Instead, he found Anderson cutting to the rim and fed him a perfect pass for the assist.
It was a rarity for Muhammad, who had only 17 assists in 20 games before Saturday. He later added another assist, marking just the fourth time this season he tallied more than one assist in a game.
"Just trying to get everybody involved," Muhammad said. "When we're playing so unselfish like you see today we had a lot of assists and our percentage was really high on the offensive end. Four guys in double digits -- we played well as a team and played really unselfish."
The efficient UCLA offense on display Saturday was the one that carried UCLA through a 10-game win streak in December and January. That streak began with an ugly win over Texas, but what followed were four consecutive games in which the Bruins had 21 assists or more.
It's the kind of offense that can compensate for a defense that is vastly improved but still has limitations, and the kind of offense that could win a few important games down the stretch.
"I think we're really starting to get our confidence back," Muhammad said. "Like I said last game, we needed a really solid quality win, and I think this was one tonight. We played really unselfish and guys were having a lot of fun out there. Me and Kyle we were really having a lot of fun. That's what it's all about and we're going to build off the win."
Anderson and Jordan Adams were key to the turnaround. They shot a combined 35-for-105 (33 percent) over the past five games but broke those slumps Saturday. Anderson made six of seven shots and Adams made five of eight. Only Travis Wear, who made five of five shots, had a higher percentage.
"Extra nights of shooting and working on making open shots," Anderson said. "I think it paid off tonight shooting well, and it also rubbed off on the team because everybody shot well, too."
Howland seemed genuinely excited about the way the team played Saturday. Of course, he raved about the defense -- and who wouldn't after his team held Washington State scoreless for a nine-minute stretch in the first half and did not give up a two-point basket for the first 16:39 of the game -- but the patience, balance and unselfishness on offense really got him smiling.
"I was really proud that our team has grown in terms of being really smart offensively," Howland said. "I think it's always good for your team when you have four, five six guys in double figures. It's always fun. I just thought we were really unselfish. We did a great job of sharing the ball tonight."
And he made sure to point out one last stat to prove his point.
"Shabazz had two assists," Howland said. "In the first half."
All it took star was player Shabazz Muhammad getting called out nationally for being selfish because of his reaction, or lack thereof, after Larry Drew II's buzzer-beater Thursday in a victory over Washington.
[+] Enlarge
Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY SportsShabazz Muhammad set the tone for UCLA's unselfish play Saturday by getting an assist on the Bruins' first basket.
Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY SportsShabazz Muhammad set the tone for UCLA's unselfish play Saturday by getting an assist on the Bruins' first basket.The team-first attitude quickly rubbed off on the other Bruins, leading to 22 UCLA assists -- its most in a game in seven weeks -- and four players reaching double-figure scoring with Drew (nine points and eight assists) barely missing out.
"There was a lot of unselfishness," said Anderson, who had 12 points and seven assists. "That was the key to us scoring points and getting open shots. We just came out with the mindset of being unselfish and moving the ball around, and it would make it easy for us."
The result for UCLA was a season-high 62 percent shooting from the field. It was the first time since Feb. 18, 2010 that the Bruins had shot higher than 60 percent in a game. It also broke the Bruins out of a shooting slump in which they had failed to shoot better than 38.2 percent over the previous three games.
It was all because of the willingness of the team to spread the ball around, coach Ben Howland said.
"Part of it is we got some good looks and open shots by really being unselfish and making the extra pass," Howland said. "When we play like that, then we're a very good offensive team."
It's a team that has been MIA of late. The Bruins had only nine assists and shot 33.3 percent Thursday against Washington -- a wake-up call of sorts that reminded them just how much their offense relies on sharing the ball.
Muhammad became the face of UCLA's recent selfish play when he failed to join the team in celebration after Drew's game-winning shot Thursday night. "SportsCenter" pointed out Muhammad walking past the celebratory dog pile without even glancing at it, and that became a topic of conversation on sports radio and television sports talk shows throughout Friday.
Muhammad said the media and public reaction was a little overblown.
"They blew it out of proportion," he said. "It was nothing. Everybody was on the floor. I didn't want to kill Larry. I really congratulated him after the game."
He took it in stride, though, as he did a couple of weeks ago when his Gucci backpack became a national sensation for a day. He said that type of scrutiny comes with the territory of being one of the nation's top high school recruits and part of a Bruin recruitingclass that was ranked No. 1 in the nation.
"That's one thing you have to take being a top-recruited player," Muhammad said. "All of us if we're doing something wrong it's going to be blown out of proportion, so you just have to know and be smart and keep playing."
On Saturday, Muhammad made it clear early that he could, indeed, be a team player. He missed a 3-point shot on UCLA's second offensive possession, grabbed his own long rebound and drove to the basket as if he were going to put up the floater that he shoots so often. Instead, he found Anderson cutting to the rim and fed him a perfect pass for the assist.
It was a rarity for Muhammad, who had only 17 assists in 20 games before Saturday. He later added another assist, marking just the fourth time this season he tallied more than one assist in a game.
"Just trying to get everybody involved," Muhammad said. "When we're playing so unselfish like you see today we had a lot of assists and our percentage was really high on the offensive end. Four guys in double digits -- we played well as a team and played really unselfish."
The efficient UCLA offense on display Saturday was the one that carried UCLA through a 10-game win streak in December and January. That streak began with an ugly win over Texas, but what followed were four consecutive games in which the Bruins had 21 assists or more.
It's the kind of offense that can compensate for a defense that is vastly improved but still has limitations, and the kind of offense that could win a few important games down the stretch.
"I think we're really starting to get our confidence back," Muhammad said. "Like I said last game, we needed a really solid quality win, and I think this was one tonight. We played really unselfish and guys were having a lot of fun out there. Me and Kyle we were really having a lot of fun. That's what it's all about and we're going to build off the win."
Anderson and Jordan Adams were key to the turnaround. They shot a combined 35-for-105 (33 percent) over the past five games but broke those slumps Saturday. Anderson made six of seven shots and Adams made five of eight. Only Travis Wear, who made five of five shots, had a higher percentage.
"Extra nights of shooting and working on making open shots," Anderson said. "I think it paid off tonight shooting well, and it also rubbed off on the team because everybody shot well, too."
Howland seemed genuinely excited about the way the team played Saturday. Of course, he raved about the defense -- and who wouldn't after his team held Washington State scoreless for a nine-minute stretch in the first half and did not give up a two-point basket for the first 16:39 of the game -- but the patience, balance and unselfishness on offense really got him smiling.
"I was really proud that our team has grown in terms of being really smart offensively," Howland said. "I think it's always good for your team when you have four, five six guys in double figures. It's always fun. I just thought we were really unselfish. We did a great job of sharing the ball tonight."
And he made sure to point out one last stat to prove his point.
"Shabazz had two assists," Howland said. "In the first half."
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