NCAA Game Summary - Stanford At UCLA
POSTED: 11:08 pm PST March 6,
2008
Los Angeles, CA -- (Sports Network) - Darren Collison scored 24 points, and third-ranked UCLA won the Pac-10 regular season title by getting the benefit of a questionable foul call in the final seconds of regulation to earn a 77-67 overtime victory over No. 7 Stanford. Russell Westbrook had 19 points, and Kevin Love contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Bruins (27-3, 15-2 Pac-10), who rallied from a 14-point deficit to win the Pac-10 regular season title for a third straight year and stretched their winning streak to six games. It also earned UCLA the top seed for the Pac-10 Tournament next week. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute had 10 points and 11 rebounds in the victory.
Brook Lopez tallied 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Cardinal (24-5, 13-4), who were dealt just their second loss in 13 games. Stanford failed to avenge a 76-67 defeat to the Bruins from January 3 in the Pac-10 opener for both teams. Lopez' twin brother, Robin, ended with 14 points and Taj Finger scored 10 in defeat. Finger's bank shot from straightaway moved the Cardinal to a 60-55 lead with just over a minute left in regulation, but Mbah a Moute then scored on a putback and was fouled with 51.1 seconds remaining. The ensuing free throw was missed, but Westbrook escaped to the ball on the carom and scored for a one- point deficit. Brook Lopez then made 1-of-2 at the charity stripe with 22.7 ticks left before Westbrook made two free throws, one of which nearly bounced over the backboard before falling through, tying the game at 61 with 20.5 seconds to go. Lawrence Hill then drove in for a bucket with 7.5 seconds left, but he was given a questionable foul call on a blocked shot on Collison with 2.5 seconds remaining. Collison made both free throws, all while Stanford coach Trent Johnson was arguing. Replays showed Hill's right hand was squarely on the ball. Stanford missed a desperation shot beyond half court at the buzzer. It took a while for either team to break the ice in OT, but finally the Bruins went ahead for the first time since it was 2-0 when Collison found Mbah a Moute for a thunderous dunk inside of three minutes left. Brook Lopez tied the game with a bank shot, but Collison put the Bruins back on top for good by putting back his own miss with nearly two minutes left. Finger then lost the ball in the lane, and at the other end Westbrook scored on another scramble for the ball in the lane. Two free throws later it was a six-point difference, and Westbrook's breakaway layup moved the cushion to 73-65 with 30.8 seconds to go. Love started the game with a layup, but the Cardinal went ahead with the next 12 points, capped by a layup from Mitch Johnson. A layup from Mbah a Moute had the Bruins within 21-14, but the Cardinal came back with the next seven points, culminated by a Finger layup. It was 30-18 at the half. Seven straight points from the Bruins early in the second half had them within 32-25. Collison had 11 straight UCLA points at one juncture, bringing the Bruins within 50-45 with under eight minutes remaining, but Stanford remained ahead until the questionable foul call in the waning seconds of regulation.Game Notes:The Bruins have won five of the last six meetings...The Cardinal play at USC on Saturday, while the Bruins host California the same day...John Wooden, UCLA's legendary former basketball coach, continues to improve during his stay in a local hospital. The 97-year-old Wooden was hospitalized last Friday with a hairline fracture of his left wrist and a fractured left collarbone he sustained in a fall in his condo on Thursday night. His wrist is in a cast and his arm will have to be in a sling when he leaves the hospital.
Copyright 2008 Courtesy of The Sports Network.












