UCLA
Arizona St
Men's Hoops Hangs on to Beat Arizona State in OT
June 21, 1999 | Men's Basketball
January 5, 1999
LOS ANGELES - Anything was bound to be an emotional letdown after beating Arizona. UCLA almost had a meltdown against Arizona State.
The seventh-ranked Bruins rallied to force overtime, then hung on to beat the Sun Devils 88-85 Monday night for their ninth straight victory.
Baron Davis got the Bruins (10-2, 2-0 Pac-10) into overtime by scoring their final five points to tie the game at 74. But he only lasted 29 seconds in the five-minute extra session before fouling out.
"We're young, but we showed a lot of heart," said Davis, one of six Bruins in double figures with 11 points. "When you've got so many good guys and key guys come through, it means a lot."
With Davis hardly around in overtime, backcourt mate Earl Watson took charge. Watson, who had 12 points, hit a six-footer in the lane with 19 seconds left to preserve the victory.
"They scratched, clawed and fought their way to victory," UCLA coach Steve Lavin said. "This is the proudest I've been of our team in the three years I have been head coach."
Another key player was freshman JaRon Rush, who matched a career high with 19 points, including two free throws that gave UCLA an 85-82 lead with 2:02 left in overtime. He had no turnovers in 34 minutes playing his first game since being suspended for Saturday's 82-75 win over Arizona.
"I just sat there and thought I wanted to be out there on the court," said Rush, who was punished for returning late from a trip to Kansas City over Christmas break. "I took out all the anger and frustration on them. I'm just glad to be back."
Eddie House and Bobby Lazor missed 3-pointers in the closing seconds for Arizona State, which has lost 20 straight against the Bruins, including 13 in a row at Pauley Pavilion.
"On the last shot, I had a decent look and it had a chance to go," Lazor said of his miss at the buzzer. "It's the shot you dream of making, but I let the team down."
Mike Batiste led the Sun Devils (8-6, 0-2) with 22 points and 12 rebounds, including a jumper that tied the game at 85 with 1:08 left in overtime. Derrick Davis added 16 points for the Sun Devils, who haven't beaten UCLA since 1989.
"We played hard enough and we played well enough to win," first-year Arizona State coach Rob Evans said. "We didn't take care of details at crucial times and when the game comes down to one bucket, that hurts you."
After Batiste tied the game at 85, Jerome Moiso hit the second of two free throws to put UCLA ahead for good with 1:07 left in overtime.
Neither team led by more than five points the entire game.
Batiste scored nine straight in a span of 3:10 to draw the Sun Devils within two points with 12:12 remaining in regulation.
"I got the ball inside and had a good run in the second half because of my quickness," he said. "It was tough to lose. Now we have to wait until March to get them again at home."
Batiste cooled off only to have Lazor and Derrick Davis go on a tear. They combined for Arizona State's next 19 points to pull ahead 74-71 with 1:18 left. Davis hit two 3-pointers during the stretch in which the Sun Devils came back to tie the game twice.
After Baron Davis picked up his fourth foul with 59 seconds left, House, who finished with 10 points, missed the free throw.
"There were two keys for this win: JaRon giving us a lift on both ends and Baron Davis holding Eddie House, one of the premier guards in America, to just seven points in 45 minutes," Lavin said.
The Bruins rushed upcourt and Watson found Baron Davis for a layup to pull UCLA within one with 40.5 seconds left. Davis got fouled and completed the three-point play to tie the game at 74.
Alton Mason's shot from 55 feet hit the front of the rim at the buzzer, forcing overtime.
By BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer
