University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA
California
Bruins Fight Back In Second Half To Down Cal
March 02, 2000 | Men's Basketball
March 2, 2000
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) - Dan Gadzuric scored a career-high 22 points and UCLA defeated California 83-62 on Thursday, overcoming its biggest deficit of the season.
Jason Kapono added 20 points as the Bruins (16-11, 7-8 Pac-10) won their third straight and clinched their NCAA-record 52nd consecutive winning season. Earl Watson had 12 points. The win kept the Bruins hopes of making the NCAA tournament alive.
Sean Lampley scored 22 points to lead California (15-12, 6-9), which lost its fourth game in the last five. The Golden Bears dropped to 2-6 at home during conference play.
UCLA scored the first eight points of the second half, completing a 17-0 run that began with three minutes remaining in the first half, to take a 38-35 lead. Kapono hit a three-pointer with 18:06 remaining to play to give the Bruins their first lead since the game's opening moments.
UCLA effectively put the game away with a 14-2 run late in the second half, taking a 76-58 lead on Kapono's fifth three-pointer of the night with 3:49 left.
UCLA continued to extend its advantage, and led by as many as 22 in the final minute.
The Bruins missed 11 of their first 15 shots and fell behind by as many as 19 points midway through the first half. UCLA did not make a basket during one 4 1/2-minute stretch.
Lampley's inside jumper completed a 20-4 Cal run with 8:28 remaining in the first half to give the Bears a 31-12 edge. But Cal made just two of its next 15 shots.
UCLA took advantage of the lapse by making seven of its final 10 shots of the half, putting together an 18-4 run to close to within 35-30 by halftime. Gadzuri scored eight of his points during the run.
