PHOENIX, AZ. -- UCLA fans had to be thinking, "Here we go again." Either that or, "Honey, check my EKG."

Only this UCLA team, in this post-season full of bumbling its way to win after win - read: failing upwardly - could blow a 41-20 halftime lead like this to a 12-seed and live to tell about it with a harrowing 88-78 win over a game Western Kentucky squad.

Can you say, "Charmed team?" There you go. I knew you could.

(Ben Howland and James Keefe look relieved, don't they?)

Continue reading "Phoenix Regional- UCLA escapes... again" »

Posted by Eric Sorenson at 01:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PHOENIX, AZ. -- What the hell can you say? Tyrone Brazelton scores 24 second half points and this Big Red team just never quits. UCLA winning 86-76 with 37 seconds left. But I'm much more impressed with the Hilltoppers tonight.

(Brazelton has put on a show tonight)

Posted by Eric Sorenson at 12:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PHOENIX, AZ. -- The press is working people. It's now 61-55 Bruins. This game hasn't been this close since it was 18-13 at the 10:23 mark of the first half. It's now just over seven minutes to go. In the words of Dick Vitale, stay tuned baby!

(Just over Bill Raftery's head you see Fox Sports and CSTV's Sean Farnham looking nervous as his alma mater has it's lead shrink to just six with seven minutes remaining)

Posted by Eric Sorenson at 12:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PHOENIX, AZ. -- Coach Darrin Horn has employed a full court press to try to force UCLA to up the tempo and make some mistakes. Right now, the Tops have made it a 48-32 game at the 15:53 mark. So it's worked a little bit.

(Coach Horn's pressure D is helping, but can it last?)

I have a feeling that WKU, despite it's good speed as well, is going to run out of gas at about the eight minute mark or so. Just a prediction, not a promise. Kevin Love is still making minced meat of the Tops on the inside with a game-hight 18 points.

Posted by Eric Sorenson at 11:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PHOENIX, AZ. -- A 13-13 tie at the 12:06 mark quickly became a 41-20 blitzkrieg for UCLA here in the first half.

(Bruin girls are happy. Thus, so are Bruin fans)

After Tyrone Brazelton put up a three that made it a tie game, UCLA cranked up the defense a notch and left WKU wondering what happened to its chances here in the first half. WKU went until the 4:30 mark before it would make another basket from the field.

At the halfway point, WKU is 6-for-32 from the field, while UCLA is 16-for-31. Both teams have made a pair of three pointers.

Posted by Eric Sorenson at 11:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PHOENIX, AZ. -- It's UCLA 20-13 at the eight minute mark, but it's been the story of the Bruin defense coming to play, but their offense having butterfingers and slippery feet (no, not in the Roy Williams sort of way). The Bruins just pushed further ahead on a spinning layup by super-frosh Kevin Love.

(Jim Harrick from his seat in the UCLA section)

By the way, that Collison-Brazelton matchup is a beauty to watch. Wish I had that kind of speed man. Keep an eye on that the rest of the game.

Posted by Eric Sorenson at 10:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's the heavily wrapped left ankle of Bruin forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute...

He badly twisted it last weekend and had an MRI on it on Tuesday. Apparently it's all good to go since he is listed in the starting lineup of tonight's second game. Keep an eye on his aggressiveness, or maybe lack thereof, in this game.

Tip time is in about seven minutes.

Posted by Eric Sorenson at 10:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)