Disappearance of Kapono key factor in loss

By Christina Teller
Daily Bruin Senior Staff

BERKELEY “”mdash; Jason Kapono easily sank a three-pointer one
and a half minutes into the game.

Not surprised?

There was just one problem. Those three points were the only
ones that the Bruins’ leading scorer put up in the first half
of play.

UCLA went into the locker room with a dismal 18 points, just
1-for-8 from beyond the arc, thanks to Kapono’s
three-pointer.

Just about a month ago, the Bruins were celebrating the fact
that their wins weren’t solely dependent upon a hot night
from Kapono.

But things have changed. This UCLA team still needs Kapono in a
big way, and Thursday night was no exception.

The junior forward, who came into the game averaging 17.6 points
per game, including 2.96 three-pointers, attempted just nine shots
and finished with ten points.

So what’s the problem?

Head coach Steve Lavin points to UCLA’s overall offense.
The Bruins have yet to consistently find their rhythm when the ball
is in their possession, often rushing their passes and shots, often
resulting in turnovers.

“We need to get the extra pass,” Lavin said.
“It’s something that needs to happen across the
board.”

But it wasn’t the Bruins alone that were a factor in
Kapono’s performance. The aggressive Cal defense had a hand
in it too. Forward Brian Wethers said that the Bears’
defensive plan focused on limiting Kapono’s shot
opportunities, which they emphatically did.

The Bruins have been getting good production from Dan Gadzuric
in recent games, which has been a goal of theirs. And in theory, a
dominant inside presence will draw in the defense, freeing up the
perimeter. But that hasn’t been the case, and Gadzuric
can’t win the games alone.

But it wasn’t just Kapono. Sure he had an off shooting
night, but the rest of his team didn’t fare that much better,
with Barnes going 3-for-11 for eight points and Knight 3-for-6 for
six points. In fact, the Bruins shot a dismal 16 percent from
downtown.

“We weren’t playing hard on defense and they were
scoring earlier than we were. We were in a funk throughout the
game,” Kapono said. “We didn’t have that crisp,
sharp mind set of trying to get good quality shots. That’s
something we’re going to have to change, so we’ll start
with that tomorrow.

“It’s a game where we weren’t all on our game
and it shows. It shows in the drubbing they put on us,”
Kapono added.

With 1:23 left in the game, Kapono walked to the bench. With a
whole new lineup on the floor, Kapono took his seat between T.J.
Cummings and Ryan Walcott. He pulled his sweat-soaked headband from
his head and took a seat.

There wasn’t anything else he could do.