It’s no Pit of despair for UCLA

EUGENE, Ore. -- With one dramatic three-point shot from little-used backup Nikola Dragovic and a steal and layup from Russell Westbrook, UCLA overcame injuries, foul trouble and a raucous crowd to beat Oregon, 80-75, in a Pacific 10 Conference game Thursday night.

It was the first loss at McArthur Court this season for the Ducks (12-7, 3-4). Freshman center Kevin Love had 26 points and 18 rebounds and guard Darren Collison had a career-high 22 points for eighth-ranked UCLA (17-2, 5-1).

At first the boiling emotions inside the sold-out arena were about booing and cursing Love, who starred at Lake Oswego High, about two hours away.

“I’m proud of the team not because we beat Oregon but because we stepped up and won a tough, tough game,” Love said.

“This was the best win I’ve ever been part of in my 27 years in this business,” UCLA Coach Ben Howland said.

The Bruins came in short-handed because starting forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and backup center Lorenzo Mata-Real were sidelined with concussions suffered in Saturday’s loss to USC. Early in the second half, starting forward Alfred Aboya and the new sixth man James Keefe had each four fouls. UCLA also is missing swingman Michael Roll (foot) who would be the sixth man in the rotation.

“Three of our top seven guys are out,” Howland said, “and we beat a really good team. It was unbelievable.”

The crowd of 9,087 wanted to boo everything Love did. But he traveled on UCLA’s first possession and the fans stood up and cheered. He got beat by Oregon’s Maarty Leunen, who scored a layup to give the Ducks the first two of their seven straight points to start the game. And they cheered some more.

Love earned his boos a few minutes later when, in succession, he made a three-pointer, scored on an offensive rebound off a miss by Keefe and then on a hook shot in a two-minute stretch that brought UCLA into an 11-11 tie. From then on the game was a succession of runs for both teams.

“I loved it,” Love said of the emotions.

“What more can you ask for?” Collison said. “He’s not an average freshman. He plays like a senior.”

UCLA’s 40-36 halftime lead was erased within 34 seconds when Malik Hairston went straight for the basket and made a layup and 5-foot-6 guard Tajuan Porter made his first three-pointer of the game to put the Ducks ahead, 41-40.

And the game became much more difficult for UCLA when Aboya got his fourth foul with 16:27 left in the game, right after he had nearly bent the rim on a dunk, and Keefe got his fourth foul with 14:05 left.

Oregon took advantage and took a seven-point lead, 58-51, with 10:56 left on a Leunen layup. The Ducks then made some bad decisions. Churchill Odia threw a pass into the second row and Porter attempted a 25-footer that rebounded five feet off the backboard.

Before he fouled out with 9:22 left, Keefe made a three-pointer to pull the Bruins within three, 58-55 and UCLA got within a point, 61-60, when Collison had two drives into the lane and two dainty 10-footers.

Still, UCLA trailed, 71-67, with 3:33 left when the Bruins got the nerveless three-pointer from Dragovic, who had scored only 40 points this season.

“He told me he was going to make that,” Westbrook said.

About 30 seconds later, Westbrook came from behind to swipe the ball from Leunen, and his layup put UCLA ahead for good, 72-71, with 2:38 left.

“This was huge for us,” Mbah a Moute said. “I’m so proud.”

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UP NEXT

Saturday at Oregon State, 8 p.m., Gill Coliseum, FSN Prime Ticket -- If there is a breather for the short-handed Bruins it should be against the Beavers, who are playing for an interim coach and are winless in the Pacific 10 Conference.

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