San Diego shocks No. 14 UCLA in OT

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Another opener at Pauley Pavilion, another stunning loss by UCLA.

San Diego bumped off the 14th-ranked Bruins 86-81 in overtime Tuesday night, matching Pepperdine and Cal State Northridge, who pulled upsets the previous two years.

"It's just a fantastic feeling," said San Diego coach Brad Holland, a former player and assistant at UCLA who beat his alma mater for the first time in front of John Wooden.

The Bruins fell to 3-4 in season openers under seventh-year coach Steve Lavin, who was the target of derogatory shouts from fans filing out before the final buzzer.

"We are a long way away from being a good team," Lavin said.

"That's part of being a Bruin," said Jason Kapono, who had 17 points but was bothered by severe leg cramps in the second half and overtime before fouling out in the final seconds. "The fans set the bar high and we didn't live up to it."

Jason Keep scored 30 points and Jason Blair added 17 points for the Toreros, who beat a ranked team for just the second time in school history. They upset No. 25 Gonzaga 75-59 in 1999.

"It's great to beat a ranked team on the road with a great tradition like they have," said Matt Delzell, who had 14 points. "This game meant a lot, especially for coach and his history here. He loves this school and we know this is maybe the biggest game on the schedule for him."

Dijon Thompson led five UCLA players in double figures with 21 points.

Kapono, one of only two seniors on UCLA's team, saw his jumper bounce off the rim with 4 seconds left in regulation. Cedric Bozeman grabbed the rebound near the free throw line, but his shot was short to force overtime tied at 73.

"Those are shots I make throughout fall, winter, spring," he said. "I felt like I didn't have my legs."

The Toreros led 80-78 when freshman Travis Smith failed to inbounds within five seconds and turned the ball over. But Kapono's shot hit the rim, and then Smith got fouled. He made one of two for an 81-78 lead with 28 seconds left.

Bozeman drove the lane and missed with 15 seconds left as boos rang out. Thompson hit a 3-pointer with eight seconds left and UCLA trailing 83-81, but the Toreros hit three of four free throws to end the game.

Blair beat the shot-clock buzzer with a 3-pointer to open overtime for San Diego. Delzell hit his fourth 3-pointer of the game to maintain a lead the Toreros never gave up in the five-minute extra session.

"Matt hit me with a pretty good pass. I was lucky it went in," Blair said. "I shouldn't have pump-faked. I almost didn't get it off."

The Bruins never led by more than eight points in the game that was tied twice in the final two minutes.

Keep, a 6-foot-11 transfer from Oklahoma State, and the 6-7 Blair bothered UCLA inside, where the Bruins lack a true presence since Dan Gadzuric graduated and is now playing for the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Bruins were coming off a rocky preseason in which they lost both games, including the first by 25 points.

 

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