Shabazz Muhammad plays key role in UCLA’s victory over Arizona
A Freshman guard/forward Shabazz Muhammad led all Bruin scorers with 23 points on Thursday night, shooting 8-for-16 from the field. UCLA is 8-0 in games in which Muhammad has scored 20 or more points.
By Daily Bruin Staff
Jan. 25, 2013 12:44 a.m.
TUCSON, Ariz. — Shabazz Muhammad sat in the media room at Pauley Pavilion on Tuesday knowing what kind of challenge awaited him and his teammates: A trip to Arizona to play one of the best teams in the nation.
“We have to win this game,” the freshman guard said. “No questions asked.”
Two days later, Muhammad and the Bruins stood before 14,617 screaming, white-clad fans at Arizona’s McKale Center. UCLA’s first shot attempt, a 3-pointer from Muhammad, found the bottom of the net.
“If I would have missed that, it would have been hard to play here,” Muhammad said after the 84-73 win. “After I made that shot, I felt comfortable. It was a great crowd to look at in all white. When I was hitting my shots, it felt good to quiet the crowd.”
Minutes after the Bruins’ first win in Tucson since 2008, Muhammad stood in the bowels of the arena when an unexpected visitor approached him.
It was Arizona coach Sean Miller, who had just spent the better part of 40 minutes screaming at his team to slow Muhammad down. Miller shook Muhammad’s hand.
“Shabazz, keep it going buddy,” Miller said. “That’s an old-school 20-point night right there.”
Muhammad led UCLA (16-4, 6-1 Pac-12) in scoring with 23 points and willed the Bruins to their third consecutive road victory, Arizona’s first regular season home loss since January 2012.
UCLA proved it is tougher than it looked last weekend in a home loss to Oregon by bolting to a 16-point lead to start the game, an advantage No. 6 Arizona (16-2, 4-2) had whittled to just 10 by halftime.
After a 10-0 Wildcats run midway through the second half, things looked bleak for the few specks of blue in the stands.
“We knew they had the crowd behind them,” said freshman Jordan Adams, who finished with 15 points. “You can’t keep that lead forever. We knew they would come back sooner or later.”
As Arizona started its charge, Adams (cramps) and redshirt junior forward Travis Wear (concussion-like symptoms) left the game. UCLA was down to six scholarship players and a five-point lead.
Enter Muhammad.
He quickly knocked down his second 3-pointer of the night before stealing the ball from Arizona guard Mark Lyons. Lyons fouled Muhammad hard, a slap that could have been heard from the 10th row, “because he didn’t want me to dunk it,” according to Muhammad.
After a few flicks of the wrist to take the sting out, Muhammad calmly sank two free throws. The Bruins once again led by double digits.
“The one thing I notice about Shabazz that you see in very few players is when the lights are on and the cameras are on, his level raises,” coach Ben Howland said of Muhammad’s nationally televised performance. “I’m happy for him because he’s a hell of a competitor, and he wants to help his team win.”
Muhammad said he could feel fatigue set in as UCLA continued to play short-handed down the stretch.
“We were getting tired but you have to suck it up and play, and we did,” he said.
UCLA will look to remain undefeated on the road on Saturday when it travels to Arizona State (15-4, 4-2). Tipoff is set for noon.
