Bruins heckle, hang up Blazers

Published: Monday, December 1, 1997

Monday, December 1, 1997

BASKETBALL: Star freshmen players sweep Birmingham out after sluggish first half

By Emmanuele Ejercito

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The seventh-ranked UCLA men's basketball team overcame a dismal first half to take fourth place at the Great Alaska Shootout, defeating the University of Alabama, Birmingham, 86-72, on Saturday at the Sullivan Arena.

In the first half, the Bruins (2-1) couldn't find the basket, shooting 32.1 percent from the field. UCLA could only muster nine points in the second quarter while the Blazers (3-3) put together a 34-9 run to take a 42-28 lead going into the second half. UAB would increase the lead to 18 points 1 1/2 minutes into the third quarter, but that's when UCLA freshman Baron Davis took control.

"Tonight was my night to step up," Davis said, "I needed to get it going; from there everything picks up." Davis made 20 points in the second half, including two from the slam after his steal to tie the game at 66. "He's playing real well right now; he's not playing like a freshman," senior Toby Bailey said. "That's what we needed from our point guard - the experience and poise that he has."

Bailey stepped it up in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter, in which he scored 19 points. Bailey put the game away by sinking a three pointer to put UCLA up, 73-70, and scoring the next 11 unanswered points - most of which came from the free-throw line. On this night, Bailey racked up a career-high 28 points.

"Toby was at a different level," head coach Steve Lavin said. "When Toby is in a zone like that, he is the best in the country; we have to give the ball to him."

In the first half, the Bruins were out-rebounded, 24-13. In the second half, UCLA out-rebounded the Blazers, 18-7. One big reason for the turnaround was senior J.R. Henderson, who had a season-high 13 rebounds to go with his 21 points.

Freshman Travis Reed saw a season high, with only 24 minutes of action. The 6-foot-7 forward provided the Bruins with an extra presence and scored two key baskets when his team was fighting back. "Travis was a spark off the bench today," Lavin said.

Another spark for the Bruins was the switch from a match-up zone to man-to-man in the last 14 minutes of the game.

"It was a nice change of pace to switch to man-to-man," Bailey said. "It picked up the defense, and we got a second wind."

For the first 10 minutes of the game, it seemed as if UCLA was going to have its way with the Blazers, but things started to fall apart, and the Bruins found themselves in a big hole.

But there is a bright side to finding yourself 18 points behind.

"I told them I want a game where you have to fight, scratch and claw, because that's what the conference is going to be like," Lavin said. "We need tough conditions; we need our freshmen to be in difficult situations, tough games where you have to execute and hit the big free throws and get big stops defensively. It's a valuable experience that you can't simulate in practice or blowouts."

MARY CIECEK

Star freshman Baron Davis (No. 5) dishes off the ball through a Lithuanian team's coverage in an exhibition game earlier this year.