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Davidson College
No. 7 UCLA
No. 7 UCLA Rallies from 18 Down to Defeat Davidson, 75-63
12/8/2007 6:35:13 PM | Men's Basketball
Marc Gignac
ANAHEIM, Calif. – Stephen Curry scored 15 points and Davidson blitzed No. 7 UCLA for an early 18-point lead, but the Bruins came back for a 75-63 victory in the John Wooden Classic at the Honda Center Saturday.
Jason Richards finished with 13 points for Davidson (3-5), and Bryant Barr scored nine points off the bench.
Luc Mbah a Moute led UCLA (8-1) with 20 points, and Josh Shipp added 15. Russell Westbrook netted 14, and Kevin Love recorded 12.
After trailing by as many as 18 in the first half, UCLA built a 65-57 advantage late in the contest. Curry's 3-pointer from the wing made the score 65-60 with 6:05 to play, and the 'Cats got stops on four straight defensive possessions.
Davidson couldn't capitalize, and the Bruins pushed the margin to 70-60 on a Darren Collison fast-break layup with 3:33 remaining. Richards cut the lead to 70-63 with a triple from the top of the key following the last media timeout. UCLA went into a stall, and Davidson would get no closer.
Davidson jumped out to a 10-3 lead on a Thomas Sander lay-in 3:21 into the game. Barr increased the cushion to 24-11 with his third 3-pointer of the game midway through the half. As a team, the 'Cats made six of their first nine from downtown.
A pair of Boris Meno turnaround jumpers in the lane and an Andrew Lovedale runner off the glass made the score 32-14, the 'Cats largest lead of the game, with 6:19 left in the frame.
The Bruins responded with a 15-0 run, holding the Wildcats without a field goal for 5:31, to trim the margin to 32-29, and Davidson led 34-30 at halftime. Mbah a Moute had eight points during the UCLA run, including seven straight.
After UCLA took a 35-34 lead, its first of the game, 1:08 into the second half, the game featured six lead changes over the next three minutes. The Bruins reclaimed it for good on a Shipp 3-pointer from the wing that made the score 43-41.
The Wildcats return to action Thursday, Dec. 13, when they host SoCon opponent The Citadel at 7 p.m. at John M. Belk Arena.
Game Notes: Will Archambault made his first career start… It was Davidson's first appearance in the Wooden Classic and the first meeting between the schools since Jan. 3, 1975… It was Davidson's third game against a top-10 opponent this season; all three have been at a neutral site.
