UCLA
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No. 3 UCLA Cruises into Pac-10 Tournament Semifinals
March 13, 2008 | Men's Basketball
March 13, 2008
UCLA-California Post Game Press Conference Video
LOS ANGELES (AP) - No. 3 UCLA buried California under a barrage of 3-pointers to start the second half on its way to an 88-66 victory in the Pac-10 tournament quarterfinals Thursday.
Darren Collison scored 19 points, Josh Shipp 18, and freshman Kevin Love had nine of his 11 in the second half after early foul trouble. UCLA (29-3) had its best 3-point shooting game of the season, hitting 14-of-25.
The top-seeded Bruins won their eighth in a row and advanced to Friday's semifinals against Southern California, which beat Arizona State 59-55. The rivals split in the regular season, with each winning on the other's floor.
Ryan Anderson scored 17 points and Patrick Christopher 12 to lead the ninth-seeded Golden Bears (16-15), who have lost eight of their last 10.
UCLA opened on a 16-4 run before DeVon Hardin's dunk - Cal's first field goal more than 7 1/2 minutes into the game - launched a 13-3 spurt that got the Bears within two. Anderson added five points.
But the Bears were derailed by 13 turnovers - 18 overall - that were instigated by a UCLA defense that produced eight steals.
The Bruins grabbed the momentum right back and rode it to a 39-25 halftime lead.
With Love playing just six minutes because of two fouls, Lorenzo Mata-Real produced the two biggest defensive plays of the half on huge blocks of Anderson and Christopher.
Love, the Pac-10 player and freshman of the year, returned to start the second half and made an immediate impact. He hit three consecutive 3-pointers and Shipp added another for a 51-33 lead.
Love has scored in double figures in all 32 games this season. He had seven rebounds and four assists, leaving to a standing ovation led by his parents, brother and sister sitting behind the Bruins' bench.
