Pac 10 Fans Home
Pac 10 Football
Pac 10 Basketball
Pac 10 Baseball
College Fansites
Pac 10 Apparel
Pac 10 Tickets

UCLA Bruins vs Arizona Wildcats Basketball Recap

UCLA 71, Arizona 49

For those who thought the Pac-10 Conference was simply a one-team league, the UCLA Bruins sent a message loud and clear to the nation that it simply isn’t the case. The Bruins dominated the tenth-ranked, Pac-10-leading Arizona Wildcats and drew even with head coach Sean Miller’s squad in the conference standings. The Bruins, who have struggled to put together consistently solid play all season, showed the conference and America at large just what they are capable of if they play a full 40 minutes.

In a contest which pitted young UCLA Sophomore forward Reeves Nelson against All-American candidate Derrick Williams, it was the inexperienced Nelson who delivered the goods. Nelson poured in 27 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead the Bruins to the upset victory. Shooting a sultry 10-of-13 from the field, Nelson was the spark head coach Ben Howland’s club in important sections of the contest.

The Wildcats are going to be excited to get out of Southern California. After dropping a surprising contest to mid-level USC two days ago, the Wildcats came out even more flat at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon. The storied UCLA home arena, which will be closed next season for renovations, wasn’t kind to Arizona as the Wildcats missed out on an opportunity to secure the outright conference title. No one will be happier to get back to Tucson than Williams. The forward was just 5-of-11 from the field and failed to have a meaningful impact on the game. 

> Browse the selection of Pac 10 apparel & merchandise online as well as Pac 10 tickets through Pac 10 Fans and partner sites.

The Bruins simply dominated every facet of the contest, from clearing the rebounding glass to shooting a high percentage from the field. UCLA took a one-point lead with just over six minutes left in the first half and never trailed from that point on. On the back of a 22-2 run spanning halftime, the Bruins put the contest to rest. Beyond Nelson’s career day, UCLA was aided by Tyler Honeycutt’s 15 points. The Bruins struggled from the 3-point line but made up for it by taking the fight to the Wildcats in the paint.

Arizona simply couldn’t find an offensive rhythm all afternoon long. The Wildcats shot just 31 percent from the field and missed on 15 of their 19 attempts beyond the arc. Williams finished with 15 points and 7 rebounds with Kyle Fogg adding 10 points. To win the Pac-10, the Wildcats have to make up for a truly terrible California road trip. UCLA, on the other hand, might have finally found its groove. Never lacking for talent, the Bruins just might be hitting their stride at the right time. The nation certainly will take note of a dominating performance over a top-ten opponent.

By Zach Bloxham
DFN Sports Staff Writer