UCLA Is a Winner at the Tape : Bruins Edge DePaul on Miller’s Basket With :04 Remaining

Not even Reggie Miller himself was thinking about the tape wrapped around his throbbing left thumb when he put up his final 15-foot jump shot with four seconds left Saturday to give UCLA a 65-63 victory over DePaul.

By that time, he had already shown that he could shoot the ball--tape, throb, pain and all.

There had been some question about whether Miller would even play after jamming his left thumb in practice Thursday, so his first few shots drew all eyes to the tape running around his thumb and halfway up his arm.

Miller said: “I just use my left hand to hold the ball and to get the arch on the shot. It was throbbing, and on my first couple of shots I was conscious of it. But after that, I just played my game.

“I just blocked it out and played.”

Miller finished with 24 points, including his first game-winning shot of the season.

UCLA’s record rose to 14-11 overall and 8-7 in the Pacific 10, with three Pac-10 games left.

DePaul’s record dropped to 15-12, with just a game against Marquette remaining.

Saturday’s game, before 7,235 spectators at Pauley Pavilion and a regional television audience, was the last of the series. DePaul is not on UCLA’s schedule in the future.

Not much of a loss considering the way both of these historically strong teams are looking at this point.

And Saturday, it took a flurry of activity in the final minutes of the first half to boost the halftime score into reasonable numbers. After a dismal start, UCLA needed a 15-2 streak to take a 29-23 lead.

DePaul shot only 29.6% from the field and 58.3% from the free-throw line in the first half. UCLA was not much better, shooting 36.7% from the field and 77.8% from the line.

There was nowhere to go but up in the second half, and a big ending saved the day.

When DePaul Coach Joey Meyer used his third timeout of the second half with 3:49 to play, UCLA was leading, 56-51.

DePaul then closed within a point, 61-60, on two free throws by freshman point guard Rod Strickland with 40 seconds left.

Moments later, Miller was driving the lane when DePaul center Dallas Comegys reached out for what appeared to be a clean steal. Comegys was whistled for a foul, and Miller made both shots of his one-and-one to put the Bruins ahead by three points with 21 seconds left.

DePaul, with plenty of time to get two points, needed a little help to get three, and got it when UCLA forward Craig Jackson fouled DePaul forward Kevin Holmes as he made a shot with 15 seconds left.

Holmes made the free throw, too, to tie the game at 63-63.

UCLA put the ball into Miller’s hands immediately, and Miller started working the clock down for a last shot.

Imagine his surprise when he found that, for the first time in the game, he was being guarded by Strickland, who is 6-3 to his 6-7.

Miller waited until the clock showed just four seconds and put up his shot, as always, leaning into his defender.

The shot dropped through the net, and the stunned DePaul players just kind of stood there as the final seconds ticked away.

Strickland said: “I was waiting for the whistle. I knew I had been fouled, and I expected the call.”

Not too many calls went DePaul’s way, but as Strickland pointed out, “That’s the way it goes on the road.”

Meyer was given the opportunity to comment on several specific calls and non-calls, and he politely declined. “I could very easily be led down that merry path of complaining about the officials right now, but I’m not going to do that,” he said.

As far as actual numbers go, DePaul did all right. UCLA was hit with 21 fouls to DePaul’s 18. And DePaul attempted 26 free throws to UCLA’s 15. But DePaul made only 17 free throws.

“We did not do a good job of getting to Reggie Miller on the last shot,” Meyer said. “He may have leaned in a little bit, but it was a heckuva shot.”

Miller said that there must have been a defensive mixup to have him one-on-one with Strickland while he was working for the last shot. And Strickland confirmed that.

“Tony Jackson had been on Reggie all day, but I think there was a mixup in the huddle, because he took Pooh (Richardson).”

Bruin Notes

Jeff Dunlap, the only senior on the UCLA team, was a starter Saturday in his next to last home game (the Bruins will play the last game of the season at home Monday night against Arizona). It was his first start as a Bruin. He played one minute, until the first dead ball. . . . Kevin Holmes, who led DePaul with 19 points and 11 rebounds, attended Reseda Cleveland High School. . . . DePaul freshman point guard Rod Strickland, when asked what he thought of UCLA freshman point guard Pooh Richardson: “I think he’s a great player. I love to watch him play, and I’ve watched him a lot. You can’t judge him by what he did today. He had an off day today.” Richardson had 5 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 assist along with 2 turnovers in 25 minutes. Strickland, who did not start because he had missed practices with the flu this week, had 16 points, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 blocked shot.