UCLA 89 - UCSB 76: Bruins Struggle With Another Cupcake

On a day when the biggest news was head football coach Jim Mora's rejection of the Washington Huskies, there was still a basketball game to play, and the enthusiasm behind a weekend victory over the hated Trogans obviously didn't carry over and wasn't enough to make Old Pauley Under Glass look any less empty than it usually does. Those that did show up were treated to the most exciting part of the night: the ringing of the Victory Bell.

Although you would think the closeness of the game down the stretch would be panic inducing, perhaps even maddening, the way it was under Howland when he was on the verge of losing to teams that have no business being close to us at OPUG, this Lavin-esque performance turned in by TRA's charges induced only detached amusement. As UCSB's Michael Bryson and Kyle Boswell continued to make it rain on our perpetually crappy defense, there's no anger, only acceptance. This is what this team is.

Luckily, UCSB is simply at a talent disadvantage, and Kyle Anderson, Jordan Adams and Zach LaVine's points were enough to avoid a Lavin 2.0 moment. For now.

Meh.