Oregon/UCLA

[Alamorich]

http://www.presstelegram.com/ucla/ci_3548068

Couldn't figure out how to cut-n-paste the article.

[onlooker]

Here ya go A.rich.

Trap game awaits Bruins

The weekend's biggest Pacific-10 Conference game takes place this evening in Seattle, where California, tied for first with UCLA, meets Washington, which is a game behind the leaders.


On Thursday, the biggest conference game of the season will be played when UCLA visits Cal.

Before any of that takes place, No. 19 UCLA hosts seventh-place Oregon today at 1 p.m. in an "overlook" game. But Bruins coach Ben Howland said there is no way the Bruins overlook a Ducks team that last swept a Pac-10 road swing late in the 2002 season, doing it in Los Angeles.

"The only ones that would (change) their focus would be people around them, or, dare I say, the media," UCLA coach Ben Howland said. "If we haven't learned that lesson by now, we'll never learn it. There's absolutely no way."

Yet, the Bruins (21-6, 11-4 Pac-10) appear susceptible to doing so.

Asked during a conference call is UCLA learned its lesson about feeling too good about itself during a 10-game stretch in which the Bruins lost six times during the middle of the Pac-10 schedule last season, Howland was quick to answer.

"Did we just lose to 'SC last Sunday?" Howland asked, knowing full well they dropped a three-point decision. "Ok, next question."

Scouting Oregon: Howland said the Ducks (13-15, 7-9) are playing "their best basketball of the year," but that might not be hard to do.

Other than a three-game winning streak in mid-January against bottom-feeders Arizona State and Washington State sandwiched around a home win against Arizona, the Ducks have floundered all season.

Even now, with a 3-1 mark in their past four games, the wins hardly inspire awe. The stretch began with a win at Arizona State (No. 163 in NCAA's latest RPI), followed by a loss to Washington and wins against Washington State (No. 119) and USC (No. 98).

"They crushed Washington State by 30, doing a great job winning at USC, something we could not do," Howland said. "Winning at Arizona State, and really, they had a great opportunity to beat Arizona at Arizona, up five with the ball with a minute to go."

Also: Power forward center Alfred Aboya (left hip) didn't practice the past two days and is a game-time decision. Such was the case entering Thursday's win against Oregon State, and Aboya played 13 minutes. ... Howland said UCLA's four seniors - centers Michael Fey and Ryan Hollins, wing Cedric Bozeman and walk-on guard Janou Rubin - would start UCLA's last home game. Sophomore point guard Jordan Farmar will join the group.

[Alamorich]

Thanks Looker

[isetcap]

It was more of a Trap Half than Trap Game...UCLA has been crushing teams in the second half.