Feb. 26, 2009
Box Score Live In-Game Commentary Postgame Press Conference
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - Josh Shipp hit four 3-pointers while scoring 24 points, and No. 22 UCLA stayed in the race for its fourth consecutive Pac-10 Conference title with a 76-71 victory over Stanford on Thursday night.
Alfred Aboya hit four free throws in the final 14 seconds to finish with 16 points for the Bruins (21-7, 10-5), who hung on despite making just one field goal over the final 4 1/2 minutes. Nikola Dragovic added 10 points before fouling out for the Bruins, who won for just the second time in their last five games.
Anthony Goods scored 18 points for Stanford, which has lost eight of 10. Landry Fields added 16 points and Josh Owens had 14 for the Cardinal, who lost all three meetings with UCLA last season before receiving a 97-63 thrashing at Pauley Pavilion on Jan. 31.
UCLA never pulled away from Stanford despite an outstanding game from Shipp. Shipp's layup with 4:35 to play put UCLA up 69-61, but the Bruins managed just one field goal, a tip-in by Aboya, after that.
Stanford pulled within 72-70 when Goods made one free throw with 41 seconds left. Aboya then hit two free throws after getting fouled while missing a dunk, and the Cardinal couldn't hit their final 3-point attempt.
Stanford wraps up its home schedule against USC on Saturday, while UCLA visits Cal for a crucial game for both schools' conference title hopes.
UCLA played without backup power forward James Keefe, who experienced back spasms in the morning shootaround.
Stanford got off to an outstanding start in front of a late-arriving crowd at Maples Pavilion, making 10 of its first 11 shots and going ahead 24-10 on a 3-pointer by Goods midway through the first half. UCLA went ahead on 14 first-half points by Shipp, but Drew Shiller's 3-pointer with 7 seconds left put Stanford up 38-37 at halftime.
NOTES
UCLA now leads the all-time series 132-89 and has won six in a row.
Stanford has lost four straight games for the first time since an 0-6 finish to the 1992-93 campaign.
Landry Fields tallied 16 points and 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the year. Fields has scored in double-figures in six consecutive games and led the Cardinal in rebounding 14 times overall.
Stanford placed at least four different players in double-figures for the 12th time this year. The Cardinal is 8-4 in such games.
Josh Owens was 7-8 from the field and finished with 14 points, representing the first time he has reached double-figures in scoring since a 12-point effort against Texas Tech back on Dec. 28.
Mitch Johnson dished out three assists, increasing his career total to 494. He is six handouts away from becoming one of three players in school history to reach the 500-assist plateau.
UCLA held a 14-6 advantage in second chance points.
Stanford has outscored its opponents 974-819 in the first half of games this year. Over the final 20 minutes, the Cardinal has been outscored 949-915.