 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
You don't need Luc to Use the Force. And the Bruins harnessed the Force on Saturday, to put up a first-time ever 4-pete against the ancient Lute Olson. Call it "The Fource." After all these 20+ years of Lute in the Desert, the Bruins had never beaten him four straight until now. Several Bruins stepped up to fill the void left by Luc "The Prince" Mbah a Moute's injury. Michael Roll shook off a cold start to score 13 off the bench, while Starters Darren Collison and Alfred Aboya both played stellar games. Aboya got a career-high 11 rebounds, and DC chipped in 7 Assists, 5 Rebounds, and 14 points. But speaking of "The FOURce," UCLA's #4 Arron Afflalo continued to be the Class of the Pac-10, leading all scorers with 22 points. Afflalo and Roll each hit three threes, as the Arizona zone defense allowed the Bruins good looks from outside. The super-quick penetrations of Darren Collison also helped to beak down the Wildcats' zone. DC also had a coast-to-coast drive that evoked memories of Tyus Edney to end the first half.
The Bruins' Defense held Arizona down way below their averages, and the Bruins controlled the game, although the score remained close and the Cats were never out of it. The Bruins missed several Free Throws in crunchtime that made it interesting, but Afflalo got one to ice it and send Arizona to their third straight Conference loss. That feat hasn't happened in 22 years, which was Lute's first year. Hopefully, this will be Lute's last year, making the losing streak a fitting bookend to his Pac-10 career.
The 17-1 Bruins are continuing to impress with surprising depth, which the injuries (Josh Shipp missed the sc victory) are exhibiting. Freshmen James Keefe and Russell Westbrook again played with poise beyond their years. Keefe even hit a smooth three-pointer with confidence. If he made that a trend, the Bruins would be hard to beat... even when a Starter has to sit one out.
Below are 16 game and cheer photos from Saturday, courtesy of our friend bruincivil...
|
|
|
