Pac-10 Men’s Basketball | UCLA bounces back
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kevin Love got UCLA started. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute finished it off.
Love had 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Mbah a Moute made a three-pointer with 28 seconds left, helping second-ranked UCLA rebound from a miserable first half to beat No. 10 Michigan State 68-63 on Tuesday night in the championship game of the CBE Classic.
“That’s an everyday thing for me,” said Love, who was banged around by Michigan State players all night. “If we’re going to be a great team, we’re all going to have to bang down low.”
UCLA (5-0) couldn’t get anything going in the first half, forcing up shots inside, missing open ones on the outside. The Bruins got back in it behind the shooting of Josh Shipp and Russell Westbrook.
Shipp had 14 of his 18 points in the second half to trim a 13-point first-half deficit to 56-54, then Westbrook scored eight consecutive points, tying the score at 58 on a steal and breakaway dunk with four minutes left.
Michigan State’s Drew Neitzel made a three-pointer from the key to put the Spartans (3-1) up 63-58, then Love had a three-point play to make it 63-61 with just under two minutes left. Mbah a Moute tied it on a rebound slam 15 seconds later, then put the Bruins up 66-63 with a three-pointer from the corner.
Saint Mary’s stuns
No. 12 Oregon
MORAGA, Calif. - Patty Mills’ spectacular performance against Oregon gave everybody a huge glimpse of why the Gaels regard him so highly - and the Saint Mary’s freshman sure spoiled Ernie Kent’s return to his former school.
Mills had the best scoring output by a freshman in program history with 37 points, and also had five assists, two steals and only one turnover that came with three minutes to go, and Saint Mary’s stunned the Ducks.
“If he plays that way every night, he’s a pro,” said Kent, comparing Mills to Spurs star Tony Parker.
Mills led the feisty Gaels (4-0) to their first win over a ranked opponent in nearly three years in a rocking, sold-out arena. It was only his fourth college game, and the effort tied him for sixth-best ever at Saint Mary’s.
Students rushed the floor as soon as the buzzer sounded to celebrate the upset.
Kamyron Brown scored 20 points, Maarty Leunen had 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Tajuan Porter scored 13 before fouling out for Oregon (4-1).
Other games
Arizona St. 61, Princeton 42
LAHAINA, Hawaii - James Harden scored 22 points and fellow freshman Ty Abbott had 19 as the Sun Devils beat the Tigers in the consolation round of the EA Sports Maui Invitational.
The Sun Devils (1-1) will play LSU, which beat Chaminade 78-72, for fifth place today.
Stanford 72, Yale 61
STANFORD, Calif. - Seven-footer Robin Lopez scored a career-high 24 points and had a season-high 12 rebounds in leading Stanford past Yale.
Lawrence Hill had a career-best 25 points for the Cardinal (5-1), which rebounded from its first loss of the season to Siena on Saturday.
Eric Flato scored a season-best 22 points to lead the Bulldogs (1-2).