THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 26, 1995 TAG: 9503260375
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: OAKLAND, CALIF. LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
The smallest man on the floor made the biggest millstone in major college basketball a bit easier to bear Saturday for UCLA coach Jim Harrick.
Guard Tyus Edney led the Bruins to their first Final Four since 1980 with a 102-96 victory over Connecticut in the West Regional final at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Some of the carping about Harrick's coaching ability should abate in Westwood, where no one has been able to please all the people all the time since John Wooden won a record 10 national titles in 12 years, including UCLA's last one 20 years ago.
The top-ranked Bruins will try to take the next step toward No. 11 Saturday in Seattle when they meet Massachusetts or Oklahoma State in a national semifinal.
UConn's loss extended the Big East's streak without a Final Four team to six years. The Huskies (28-5) fell short of their first Final Four appearance.
``They're a great basketball team and certainly capable of winning the national championship,'' UConn coach Jim Calhoun said of UCLA. ``We went down to a team that's the best team we've played.''
The Bruins' best player, All-American Ed O'Bannon, had a quiet afternoon, but Edney and a pair of freshmen filled the void for UCLA (29-2).
``He dominated the game,'' Harrick said of 5-foot-10 senior point guard Edney. ``He was just a giant today.''
Edney played 40 minutes, scored 22 points, handed out 10 assists and neutralized UConn's Kevin Ollie. Although it was freshman Toby Bailey who led the Bruins with a career-high 26 points, for the second weekend in a row, West Regional most outstanding player Edney was the primary reason UCLA advanced.
``Make no mistake about it, the Little General is the guy who directed everything today,'' Harrick said.
Edney controlled the flow of the game and was too quick for a UConn team that had decimated opponents all season with quickness. He broke down the Huskies defense and delivered the ball to the open man.
``Tyus Edney got down court and penetrated our zone,'' said UConn sophomore guard Ray Allen, who led all scorers with 36 points. ``He made good plays, and we just couldn't contain them.''
Edney, Bailey (10 of 16 shooting, team-high nine rebounds) and fellow freshman J.R. Henderson (18 points off the bench) were too much for the Huskies to handle.
``All year long our strength has been our running game,'' Edney said. ``UConn's got an excellent running game, so we knew we'd enjoy playing in this game.''
The Bruins led by as many as 14 points several times in the second half, but the Huskies kept charging back, only to fall behind again. The Bruins' 62.5 percent field-goal shooting in the second half squelched any serious UConn comeback.
O'Bannon and UConn's Donny Marshall essentially canceled each other out with 15 points apiece. Marshall averaged 24.7 in UConn's first three tournament games.
UCLA was up, 94-80, with just 1:36 remaining until UConn's Doron Sheffer (24 points) got hot and helped his team slice the lead to 100-94 with 17 seconds left. UConn got no closer, and UCLA heads into the final weekend of the season on a 17-game winning streak.
``Every time they made a run, we had an answer,'' Harrick said.
Harrick will no longer have to answer critics who say he can't win big games and lead talented teams to the Final Four. Harrick acknowledged that satisfaction for himself.
``I think it's very important for him,'' Bailey said. ``But it's still not going to be over until he wins a title.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ed O'Bannon celebrates UCLA's first trip to the Final Four under
coach Jim Harrick.
by CNB