Cougs ousted by UCLA, 64-53

LOS ANGELES — Even in the cavernous Staples Center, the Washington State Cougars felt a lot more cramped than the last time they played the UCLA Bruins in Los Angeles.

Unlike a history-making win over the Bruins in Pauley Pavilion 19 days ago, WSU guards Taylor Rochestie and Klay Thompson seldom had room to maneuver, Bruins guards Darren Collison and Jrue Holiday rarely more than a heartbeat away.

And with Rochestie and Thompson kept in check, shooting a combined 3-for-22, the Bruins easily got their revenge with a 64-53 win over the Cougars in the quarterfinals of the Pac-10 tournament.

"They upped their pressure and they climbed into us and they were more physical and tough-minded than we were," said WSU coach Tony Bennett. "They ran harder and they were a tougher team to play against, certainly."

Rochestie had scored 33 and Thompson 15 in WSU's 82-81 upset win over the Bruins last month — which helped hand the Pac-10 title to rival Washington — just the school's second win against UCLA in Pauley. But the two combined for just 13 Thursday, Rochestie scoring eight points on 1 of 11 shooting and Thompson five while going 2 of 11.

UCLA guard Jrue Holiday, burned for 15 points by Thompson in the first meeting and benched to start the second half of that game, said he took it as a personal challenge to hold Thompson down in this meeting.

"I think he got the best of me last time and this time I took it to heart and I really didn't want him to come out and start off like he did last game," said Holiday.

WSU led just once, at 5-4 with 16:09 to play in the first half.

By the time the Cougars scored again they trailed 25-5 with 9:41 remaining, missing 12 straight shots and turning the ball over three times. Four of the misses came on one possession as Aron Baynes and DeAngelo Casto took turns misfiring on layins and tip-ins.

The Bruins, meanwhile, hit 4 of 5 three-pointers en route to 21 straight points, two from Josh Shipp.

"We can't come out and have a flat start like that," Rochestie said. "I think we were getting the shots we wanted. Sometimes you are going to miss shots. But we also weren't getting stops and that was the difference."

The Cougs, who were 7 of 34 shooting in the first half, crawled to within seven in the final minute, causing UCLA coach Ben Howland to send his starters back in. But the game was never really in doubt after the Bruins' early run.

Baynes led WSU with 22 points but was the only Cougar in double figures. Darren Collison led the Bruins, now 25-7 and slated to play crosstown rival USC in the semifinals tonight, with 15.

WSU's hopes of a third straight NCAA tournament appearance ended with the loss, but Bennett hopes that the NIT will come calling for his 17-15 team.

"That would be awesome," he said. "I think we've made a pretty solid case. We are hopeful."

Bob Condotta: 206-515-5699 or bcondotta@seattletimes.com.

WASHINGTON STATE (17-15)
min		fgm-a	ftm-a	or-t	a	pf	pts
Forrest	20	2-6	2-2	1-3	3	3	7
Baynes	38	8-15	6-10	3-6	0	3	22
Capers	27	2-7	0-0	0-3	2	2	4
Thompson	34	2-11	0-0	2-8	2	0	5
Rochestie	40	1-11	5-6	1-3	2	4	8
Harthun	8	1-2	0-0	0-1	1	1	3
Koprivica	11	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	1	0
Casto	14	2-5	0-0	5-8	0	5	4
Harmeling	8	0-2	0-0	0-0	1	1	0
	200	18-60	13-18	15-37	11	20	53

Percentages: FG .300, FT .722. Three-point goals: 4-15, (Forrest 1-2, Thompson 1-5, Rochestie 1-6, Harthun 1-1, Harmeling 0-1). Team rebounds: 5. Blocked shots: 4, (Baynes 4). Turnovers: 10, (Baynes 2, Thompson 4, Koprivica, Casto 2, Harmeling). Steals: 5, (Forrest 2, Rochestie 2, Casto).

UCLA (25-7)
min		fgm-a	ftm-a	or-t	a	pf	pts
Shipp	29	3-8	2-4	0-3	0	1	10
Dragovic	24	4-6	4-4	2-6	0	3	12
Aboya	28	1-7	4-4	1-5	0	1	6
Collison	33	3-9	8-10	1-4	5	3	15
Holiday	31	3-5	2-2	1-4	3	1	10
Gordon	12	1-3	0-0	1-5	0	3	2
Lee	4	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0
Anderson	7	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0
Keefe	16	2-4	0-0	1-6	0	1	5
Roll	16	2-5	0-0	0-1	1	3	4
	200	19-48	20-24	9-38	9	16	64

Percentages: FG .396, FT .833. Three-point goals: 6-14, (Shipp 2-5, Dragovic 0-2, Collison 1-3, Holiday 2-2, Keefe 1-1, Roll 0-1). Team rebounds: 4. Blocked shots: 1, (Dragovic). Turnovers: 10, (Shipp, Dragovic 2, Aboya 2, Collison, Holiday 2, Lee, Roll). Steals: 7, (Shipp, Aboya 3, Collison, Holiday 2).

Washington State	21	32	—	53
UCLA	33	31	—	64

Attendance: 16,271. Officials: Michael Reed, Mike Scyphers, Bobby McRoy. Technical fouls: Washington State-Casto, DeAngelo. UCLA-Gordon, Drew.