Feb 21, 2004
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By BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer
LOS ANGELES - It's a school-record 23 consecutive victories andcounting for Stanford.
The top-ranked Cardinal defeated UCLA 73-60 Saturday to remain undefeatedwith two weeks left in the regular season.
Stanford improved to 14-0 in the Pac-10, and clinched its fourth conferencetitle in six years and 11th overall. Rob Little led the Cardinal with 18points, tying his career high.
"We want to make history," Little said. "Why not go out to win them all?It's a personal goal for everyone now, with four games left, to go undefeated.Why not?"
The Cardinal overcame a 13-point first-half deficit to beat SouthernCalifornia on Thursday, then won its seventh in a row at Pauley Pavilion onSaturday, the only opponent with such a streak in the arena's 39-year history.
"I'm really proud of our guys," Stanford coach Mike Montgomery said."They came to L.A. to get a sweep to win the conference championship. That'spretty good stuff."
Stanford and No. 2 Saint Joseph's (24-0) are the nation's only undefeatedDivision I teams. No team since Indiana in 1976 has had a perfect season andthe Hoosiers won the national championship that year.
"It's not a focal point, but the more games we win, the closer it gets,"Montgomery said.
Although the Bruins (11-12, 7-8) have lost nine of their last 11 underfirst-year coach Ben Howland, an upset seemed possible based on their historyagainst top-ranked teams.
"We felt we could beat them. We felt good coming in," said Dijon Thompson,who led UCLA with 17 points.
UCLA had defeated a No. 1 team in each of the last four seasons - all underformer coach Steve Lavin, who was fired in March. Two of those victories cameat Stanford, in 2000 and 2001. UCLA and North Carolina share the record for themost defeats of a No. 1 team, with 10 each.
But other than starting the second half with a big run that cut Stanford'slead to seven points, the Bruins were unable to muster much of a threat.
"It was really a big problem for us to come back," Howland said. "As soonas we had a couple shots miss, it sped us up instead of slowing down and youcan't do that against a zone."
John Wooden, who led UCLA to 10 of its 11 national titles, stayed in hisseat behind the Bruins' bench until the end, although most of the 10,815 fanspoured out with 3 minutes remaining.
"They made us work and that's how they got their big lead," said JonCrispin, a UCLA senior who started in place of freshman Trevor Ariza because itwas his last Pac-10 home game. "They're really good. They don't make anymistakes. The times we went on a nice little run, they stayed right with it."
UCLA led by two points midway through the first half, then Stanford reeledoff nine straight points as part of a 25-4 run that put the Cardinal ahead42-23 at halftime. Stanford shot 61 percent in the half to UCLA's 43 percent.
"We had a 19-17 lead, turned the ball over and it really spiraled out ofcontrol," Howland said. "We let an opportunity slip."
The Bruins came out strongly in the second half, repeatedly driving to thebasket for a 14-2 run that got them to 44-37. Stanford failed to score on itsfirst six possessions, including four turnovers.
"To be undefeated at this point in the season and have everybody trying toknock you off, they obviously have a lot of mental toughness," Howland said.
| "Anytime you score, you up your mojo and spirits as a player and gives youa little spark." Matt Lottich |
Then Little scored consecutive baskets and Josh Childress hit a 3-pointer topush Stanford's lead to 53-41 with 11:53 remaining.
The teams traded baskets until the Cardinal hit three consecutive3-pointers. Matt Lottich made one in front of the Stanford bench with Crispinin his face, then hit another from the middle of the floor over Crispin andChris Hernandez finished the long-range spurt for a 64-46 lead with 6:33 left.
"Anytime you score, you up your mojo and spirits as a player and gives youa little spark," Lottich said. "We defend or adjust to any way teams attackand that is why we have been so successful."
UCLA outscored Stanford 26-18 in the paint, scored 20 points off 17turnovers and had a 10-2 edge in fastbreak points, but shot just 42 percent forthe game.
Nick Robinson added a career-high 15 points and Lottich had 14 points,hitting all four of his 3-pointers. Childress, who had a career-high 36 pointsagainst USC two days earlier, also had 14 points.
T.J. Cummings added 11 points for UCLA.
Stanford took a 14-5 lead to start the game. The Bruins got back in it witha 14-3 run, including seven points by Thompson, that gave them a 19-17 leadbefore Stanford's big run.
Stanford senior forward Justin Davis missed his sixth straight game with aleft knee injury. UCLA reserve forward Josiah Johnson didn't play afterinjuring his left knee in practice Monday.