• printer friendly
• mail this article
• iPod format
• digg

Kings of the road: Bruins extend streak to 11 games

No. 1 UCLA runs away from Louisville 91-73 as E. O'Bannon pours in 25

By Randy Satterburg

Daily Bruin Staff

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The top-ranked UCLA basketball team does many things well, but perhaps most encouraging is the way the Bruins play inspired basketball on the road, where they have lost only one time this season. UCLA hasn't been too shabby at home either, but it just may be that this team is actually better away from the comforts of home.

The Bruins' road ability is particularly encouraging because it is precisely the type of attribute that allows a team to put together the six consecutive road wins that are necessary to win a national championship.

Sunday afternoon UCLA went to its bag of tricks one more time to see if it had any magic left for the last road game of the regular season, and was pleased to find that it did. The Bruins came out quick against Louisville to build a 10-point half-time lead, then held off a late Cardinals' run to pull away for a 91-73 victory in front of a record-high crowd of 19,872 screaming fans at Freedom Hall, who turned out hoping to see the nation's No. 1 college basketball team take a spill.

The win allowed the Bruins to finish their regular season road schedule with their fewest number of losses in over 20 years, dating back to the 1972-73 season when Bill Walton and Larry Farmer led UCLA to a 30-0 record and a national title.

"We enjoy playing on the road," said sophomore Charles O'Bannon. "(We're able to) step up in the biggest games because we're such a close-knit unit, like a family. Going into hostile environments, we kind of take it personally, and we try to (assume) a role as underdogs and take over the game."

The win was the 11th consecutive for the Bruins (23-2 overall), who ensured themselves another week at the top of the rankings, with only a pair of home games remaining against the Oregon schools. It also allowed UCLA to move one step closer to ending the season as the nation's No. 1 team, which would surely be good enough for a top-seed in the west region of the upcoming NCAA tournament.

"This team has been through a lot of heat," Tyus Edney said. "It just seems that when the going gets tough, we get tougher."

UCLA was very tough out of the gates against Louisville, racing out to a 22-9 lead after making nine of its first 13 field goals, while holding the Cardinals to less than 27 percent shooting in the process. The Bruins showed they would be active on the glass all afternoon by grabbing 12 of the first 15 rebounds in the opening half, and by game's end UCLA owned a 40-22 rebounding advantage.

"They out rebounded us by 18. That's the big difference in the ball game," Louisville head coach Denny Crum said.

Said Charles O'Bannon: "Going into the game we really wanted to control the boards because we have a much taller team, and we had good success doing that."

The Cardinals (16-13) were buoyed some by the return of freshman center Samaki Walker (14 points), who was playing in his second game back after sitting out four consecutive Louisville losses with a foot injury.

But Walker could not stop UCLA's offensive weapons, with four players scoring 16 points or more, led by Ed O'Bannon's 25 points and Edney's 20. Toby Bailey and Charles O'Bannon hurt Louisville the most combining for 33 of UCLA's 91 points, 13 of the Bruins' 18 assists and 20 of the team's 40 rebounds.

"Charles had a great line today," UCLA head coach Jim Harrick said of O'Bannon, who had six assists, two blocks and no turnovers to go with his 16 points and nine rebounds. "And I thought Toby Bailey really gave us a nice lift."

The Bruins led at half-time, 41-31, and started the second half strong. After Bailey converted offensive rebounds into lay-ups and Charles O'Bannon slammed home two points on an offensive board, UCLA lead by 18 points, at 54-36.

DeJuan Wheat (18 points) helped the Cardinals scratch and claw their way back to a four-point deficit, 73-69, with just under three minutes remaining. But Ed O'Bannon made his way to the free throw line for two points, then his brother Charles forced a steal, passed to Edney on the break, and hustled down court to throw the ball through the rim with two hands after Edney's lay-up didn't go.

In the game's final 2:52, Louisville scored just four points, while the Bruins hit 14 consecutive free throws (22/26 FT for the game) to succeed with an 18 point margin of victory.

"Every time we got close they responded, and that's what good teams do," Crum said. "And they certainly are a very good team."

Comments

Post a comment