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UCLA basketball: halftime report

By David Wharton
Staff WriterFollow
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Faced with an early 10 a.m. tipoff, UCLA sleepwalked through the first half against Arizona, trailing 35-20 at Pauley Pavilion.

Arizona was coming off of a cold shooting performance against USC the other night and appeared intent on starting fast, opening a six-point lead in the first five minutes. Freshman forward Derrick Williams looked particularly sharp on his way to 14 points for the half.

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Meanwhile, the Bruins started one for seven with a couple of turnovers, falling behind 10-4.

Nikola Dragovic tried to wake them up by driving to the basket, then drawing two fouls and converting the free throws. But his teammates rolled over and went back to sleep. With shot after shot flying off the mark -- and Williams continuing to assert himself inside -- UCLA soon fell behind.

The Bruins shot 21% and were out-rebounded 27-15 in the first 20 minutes.

-- David Wharton

Sports Now
David Wharton

David Wharton has filled an array of roles – covering the courts, entertainment, sports and the second Persian Gulf War – since starting as a Los Angeles Times intern in 1982. His work has been honored by organizations such as the Society for Features Journalism and Associated Press Sports Editors and has been anthologized in “Best American Sports Writing.” He has also been nominated for an Emmy and has written two books, including “Conquest,” an inside look at USC football during the Pete Carroll era.

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