Jan. 13, 2005
By MEL REISNER
AP Sports Writer
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) - Jason Farmar had 20 points, Dijon Thompson scored 19, and UCLA stymied Arizona State star Ike Diogu with constant double-teaming to beat the Sun Devils 86-82 Thursday night.
Arron Afflalo added 17 points to help UCLA (10-3, 4-1 Pac-10) win its fourth straight while handing the Sun Devils their first loss in 10 home games.
Kevin Kruger led Arizona State (13-3, 2-2) with 18 points and six assists. Bryson Krueger had 16 points, Diogu 15 and Serge Angounou had 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Diogu, a natural power forward who plays center for a relatively small team, extended his career-long, double-digit scoring streak to 75 games. He also had nine rebounds, but shot 6-for-16 from the floor and 3-of-7 on free throws.
Afflalo's 3-pointer lifted UCLA to a 76-71 lead with 2:58 to play. It was the Bruins' last basket. But Thompson made six free throws and Fey and Afflalo had two each down the stretch.
Kruger made three free throws after a foul by Farmar with 36 seconds left, and Krueger made a 3-pointer with 10.1 seconds left, cutting the deficit to 84-82. But Afflalo's two foul shots and Kruger's missed 3-point attempt at the other end clinched the win.
UCLA had a one-point halftime lead but ballooned that to 50-41 by scoring four quick baskets in the second half.
That was the Bruins' biggest lead.
Diogu made a turnaround in the lane with 11:45 to play, cutting UCLA's lead to 55-53.
But 7-foot Michael Fey responded with a layin over Diogu for two of his 10 points, Brian Morrison sank a 3-pointer and the Bruins shot ahead, 60-53, just 1:03 later.
Arizona State opened a 32-20 lead with 6:31 to play in the first half when Kevin Kruger and Bryson Krueger made 3-pointers 51 seconds apart.
But UCLA fired up its transition game, and Farmar had three fast-break baskets, a three-point play and two technical free throws - assessed on Arizona State coach Rob Evans for being on the floor during play - in a 20-6 run that gave the Bruins a 40-38 lead with 1:09 to play.
Angounou got the lead back with a three-point play, but Fey had a tipin with 9 seconds to go for a 42-41 UCLA lead at halftime.