M. basketball: Young blood pump out victory

The stage was set for drama, and the youngest player on the
floor knew exactly what do.

UCLA’s Jordan Farmar, barely 18 years old, didn’t
hesitate once with the game on the line and the ball in his hands.
With a spinning five-foot bank shot and 4.7 seconds remaining, the
freshman point guard punctuated the best game of his young career,
delivering the Bruins a 85-83 victory over Pepperdine on Saturday
afternoon at Pauley Pavilion.

“I didn’t have to tell Jordan what to do when we got
it in,” UCLA coach Ben Howland said. “He knew what to
do. Go to the basket.”

Farmar, who scored 21 of his career-high 25 points in the second
half, helped UCLA (5-1) to a win that will be remembered for its
performances by the Bruin freshman.

Josh Shipp started in place of injured senior Dijon Thompson,
and finished with a game-high 12 rebounds and 15 points for his
first career double-double. Lorenzo Mata grabbed 11 boards, helping
the Bruins to dominate the Waves (7-2) on the glass, 41-23.

“You can see these kids are growing; they’re getting
better,” Howland said. “And with all the experience
comes confidence.”

The average age of UCLA’s starting lineup Saturday was 19.
Pepperdine’s, by contrast, was 22.

Yet it was the young Bruins who displayed the patience and
resolve of a more veteran squad, rallying from a seven-point
second-half deficit after blowing another double-digit first-half
lead.

In the final two minutes, UCLA was tested with fire, but
ultimately came away unscathed.

Twice the Bruins came up with key defensive plays to help stave
off the Waves.

Trailing 81-79 with less than two minutes remaining, Shipp
rotated beautifully on defense, stepping in front of
Pepperdine’s Glen McGowan on the low block to steal the
ball.

Then, with the score tied at 83 and nine seconds remaining,
Howland decided to gamble by pressuring the inbound pass. The
Waves, who committed only five turnovers all game, lost the ball
out of bounds, paving the way for Farmar’s heroics on the
final possession of the game.

“We didn’t put our heads down; we just came right
back at them,” said junior center Michael Fey, who played
perhaps his best game of the season with 13 points, six rebounds
and two blocks in only 18 minutes. “That’s a sign of a
good team.”

Farmar and Shipp each hit key shots down the stretch, combining
to score 14 of UCLA’s final 16 points. It was Farmar who tied
the game at 83, calmly burying two pressure-packed free throws
after Pepperdine’s Marvin Lea fouled him on the perimeter
with nine seconds remaining.

Once Pepperdine turned the ball over, the outcome was in the
hands of Farmar again.

Farmar blew by Lea and spun away from the help defense, finding
the middle wide open. He softly threw up a shot off the backboard
to give UCLA its best win of the season.

“When I heard (Howland) say take it, there was nothing to
think about,” Farmar said.

Farmar finished the game shooting 8-for-11, hitting both his
3-point attempts and all seven of his free throws. He also dished
out four assists while committing only one turnover in 31
minutes.

In Pepperdine’s final chance, Alex Acker’s desperate
30-footer fell short at the buzzer.

McGowan led the way for Pepperdine, finishing with 24
points.

Despite playing without Thompson, the team’s leading
scorer and rebounder, the Bruins nevertheless came away with a
gutty victory over a team Howland believes will contend for an NCAA
Tournament berth. Farmar, Shipp and Mata had breakout performances,
and Fey showed signs that he may be turning the corner in his
progression. But perhaps even more important than the win were the
lessons learned.

“This is the first game we’ve had that went down to
crunch time, so I think (the freshmen) definitely grew up,”
Fey said. “This win will definitely help our freshmen and our
team.”