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MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Jason Kapono scored all 17 of his points in the second half as sixth-seeded UCLA overcame a sluggish start to defeat No. 11 Ball State, 65-57, in a Midwest Region first-round game. UCLA (20-11), which has won seven straight, will face Maryland in the second round. Kapono's teammates provided little help in the opening 20 minutes, allowing Ball State to take a 26-22 halftime lead. But the 6-7 freshman found the range in the second half as the Bruins avoided first-round elimination for the second straight year. In 1999, the 11-time national champions suffered a 56-53 loss to Detroit in the opening round. Duane Clemens had 16 points and eight steals for Ball State (22-9), which was making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1995. The Bruins were dreadful from the foul line, hitting only 44 percent (8-of-18) of their attempts, but Ball State was unable to take advantage. The Cardinals relied heavily on perimeter shooting and got to the line just four times, making only one. Ball State led 33-32 with less than 15 minutes remaining before they hit a dry spell and UCLA began to heat up. The Bruins overpowered Ball State with a 15-0 run to take a 47-33 lead with 10:31 to play. UCLA led 55-44 on a free throw by Kapono with just under five minutes to go but the Cardinals would make one last push. Clemens hit a jumper, stole the ball on the next possession and drove in for a layup. After a UCLA miss, Mickey Hosier nailed a 3-pointer as Ball State drew within 55-51 with 2:55 remaining. But Kapono hit two free throws to cap a 6-2 run which gave the Bruins a 61-53 cushion in the final minute. JaRon Rush had 16 points and Dan Gadzuric had eight and 12 rebounds for UCLA, which shot 46 percent (25-of-55) from the floor. The Bruins hit 7-of-21 3-pointers, with Kapono making four and Rush adding three. Cedric Moodie had 15 points for Ball State, which shot only 38 percent (24-of-64) but stayed close by hitting 8-of-21 from behind the arc.
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