DANIEL WONG/Daily Bruin Senior Staff UCLA forwards
Jason Kapono (24) and Matt Barnes
bring the ball upcourt. Both players took turns at the point during
UCLA’s 79-57 win over Alabama.
By Scott Schultz
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
The Bruins arrived at the Anaheim Pond with a problem at point
guard and left and left with a 79-57 victory over No. 16 Alabama,
their first over a ranked opponent this season.
No. 20 UCLA (4-2) overcame its shortcomings at the John Wooden
Classic by perfectly executing a game plan that employed a plethora
of playmakers, including forwards Jason Kapono and Matt Barnes, in
a pass-oriented perimeter attack that worked to the tune of 17
assists against only nine turnovers.
With the point guard problem in check, post players Barnes and
center Dan Gadzuric also regained their scoring touch. The victory
over the Crimson Tide (6-2) came in front of legendary Bruin coach
John Wooden, the guest of honor at his eponymous Classic.
Kapono, who spent time running the offense for the second
straight game, said he felt comfortable in the point guard role,
looking to pass first and shoot second. He had two assists at the
start of the game and four of his game-high five assists in the
first half.
"I just wanted to get Matt and Dan some touches," said Kapono,
who in the second half switched to his natural forward position,
where he scored 16 of his game-high 22 points. "I was playing the
point so I wasn’t trying to be a scorer so much as a passer."
UCLA head coach Steve Lavin praised the play of freshman point
guard Ryan Walcott, calling him the player of the game. Walcott
stepped up with a solid performance off the bench, scoring four
points and dishing out three assists in 11 minutes. He brought
energy to the team and was effective running the offense.
"My role on the team is to get everyone involved," Walcott said.
"I don’t
want them to work for their shots. I’ll work for them."
UCLA got off to a quick 17-9 lead in the first half on the
dominant post play
of Gadzuric and Barnes, who combined for the team’s first 11
points. Barnes, who had a season-high 15 points and seemed to be
more comfortable in the offense, was also responsible for bringing
the ball up the floor against the occasional pressure defenses
attempted by the Crimson Tide.
Alabama was unable to work the ball inside against the Bruins’
zone defense and Gadzuric’s intimidating presence. The Crimson Tide
was forced to shoot over half of its field goal attempts from
three-point territory, resulting in a horrendous .298 field goal
percentage. After the Bruins closed the first half with a 21-6 run,
going up 40-25, the Crimson Tide made runs, but never threatened
the Bruin lead.
Gadzuric, whose performance had been lacking in last week’s loss
to
Pepperdine and victory over UC Riverside, showed improvement.
The 6-foot-11 senior scored eight points, grabbed seven rebounds
and challenged every Alabama shot. Still, Lavin limited his minutes
due to a combination of early foul trouble, a bout of fatigue and
the spirited play of T.J. Cummings, who shot 4-of-6 from the
field.
"We’re still looking for combinations on the floor," Lavin said.
"November
and December is for finding combinations."
The Bruins have an entire week to relish what was arguably their
best outing of the young season before their next game, Saturday,
when they host UC Irvine at Pauley Pavilion.