UCLA Cut Down to Size

It was supposed to be tune-up time for UCLA, one final try before the Kansas game to sharpen skills and perfect plays against an overmatched nonconference team that prides itself on its motto, “Recruit to shoot” and generally keeps to itself in a small town in Arizona.

What it turned out to be was another patch of problems, another night of nothing for UCLA, which lost to Northern Arizona, 67-63, before 5,736 fast-exiting fans Tuesday at Pauley Pavilion.

This, against a team that lost to Arizona by 35 a few weeks ago and got beaten by a college named High Point in its season opener.

Mix in the Lumberjacks’ injury woes -- only nine players suited up against UCLA -- and it became obvious why the crowd at half-empty Pauley was terribly unenthused as the final seconds ticked down.

With the Bruins trailing by three, Jason Kapono’s three-point attempt with five seconds left rattled off the front of the rim and UCLA found itself once again trying to explain an unexpected loss.

Two exhibition losses followed by losses to University of San Diego and Duke were supposed to be a part of the past after the Bruins (2-3) had won their last two games by a combined 61 points, but a subdued second half against Northern Arizona guaranteed nothing more than a loss.

Before the season, UCLA had lost only eight nonconference games at home since 1989, but dropped its second at Pauley Pavilion in three weeks.

Northern Arizona eradicated a 32-26 halftime deficit with brilliant outside shooting, making nine of 13 three-pointers in the second half. UCLA’s perimeter defense, slack throughout most of the game, left the Bruins slack-jawed afterward.

“We’re all guilty on the defensive end, not finding guys,” said UCLA forward T.J. Cummings, who had 16 points and made six of seven shots. “When those shots are getting up, we need to get out there.”

Northern Arizona (6-2) was without three injured players.

On Northern Arizona’s bench, guys in coats and ties almost doubled the number of the reserves. But nobody was laughing on the UCLA bench when the game ended.

Despite the fact that Northern Arizona’s tallest player was 6 feet 7, UCLA was outrebounded, 28-25. Kapono finished with 12 points on four-of-10 shooting.

“It’s discouraging because I thought we made progress [recently], but we slipped back tonight,” UCLA Coach Steve Lavin said. “They played a more mature game than we did.”

Dijon Thompson was again effective in his third game as a reserve, with 14 points and six rebounds. Other than that, it was a night to forget.

Then again, these types of nights have been accruing since the first exhibition loss.

“I don’t think we’ve got our heads too low because we’ve already been here,” Cummings said.

UCLA went almost four minutes before scoring its first point and trailed, 16-13, midway through the first half before taking temporary control with a 10-0 run.

Then came the Lumberjacks’ second-half shooting spree.

Kyle Feuerbach was four of five in the second half from three-point range. Kelly Golob made two of two.

“ ‘Recruit to shoot’ is what we live on,” said Northern Arizona Coach Mike Adras. “It’s on our media guides, our posters, our schedule cards. We preach it and we go out and do it.”

Northern Arizona forward Ryan McDade led with 22 points, making 10 of 16 shots.

Kansas, UCLA’s opponent on Saturday, is waiting eagerly.

The Jayhawks, who lost to UCLA last season, 87-77, could use a victory against a big-name opponent after losing to North Carolina, Florida and Oregon this season.

Kansas will mark Lavin’s 200th game as UCLA’s coach.

“If your heart isn’t pumping, if you can’t feel the adrenaline [against Kansas], you must be dead,” Cummings said. “That’ll be one of those big-time games you go to college for.”