THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Rattled in Seattle — The Bruins blow a 10-point lead in the last 6 minutes, as a 13-0 ref-aided run by Washington overshadows Josh Smith’s best-game-ever Homecoming in a 71-69 heartbreaker

Despite one of their best Road efforts of the year, and despite Josh Smith’s career-high 24 Points, UCLA lost another away game, 71-69 to the Huskies.  The Bruins, behind Smith’s inside game and a late surge from the outside by Lazeric Jones, turned what was a very close game throughout into a 10-point contest with under 6 minutes to go.  But then they got sloppy and tentative, and let the Huskies go on a rampage.

Washington used a Full Court Press to create Turnovers and speed up the pace to “frenetic.”  They also used a Zone Defense to take Smith out of the game.   Then they capitalized on some low-percentage shots MADE by Terrence Ross to come all the way back and take the lead in the final minutes.  The Bruins still had a chance, but the Refs blew a Charge/Block call that fouled out Tyler Lamb (even Dick Vitale thought it was a horrible call influenced by the crowd’s urging), and Lamb’s replacement, Norman Powell, missed the potentially game-tying shot as time expired.

It was a brutal loss in a place where UCLA hasn’t won since 2004, but if this was the re-Coming Out Party for Smith, who is originally FROM Washington and was getting harassed by the fans all night, then Thursday night’s game is nothing more than a warning to all the other Pac-12 teams, that in the Pac-12 Tournament — IN LOS ANGELES — the Bruins are going to be very, very tough to beat.