|
 SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - With good-natured shoves and claps, the UCLA Bruins formed a circle around Arron Afflalo — the rightful center of attention. In an exceptional second half that should help erase memories of his past mediocrity in big games, Afflalo scored 15 of his 24 points and the Bruins held off the top-seeded Jayhawks for a 68-55 victory in the West Regional final Saturday night.
Afflalo, hiding behind the souvenir hat and T-shirt from the biggest game of his career, tried to be just one of the guys — even though he was the main reason UCLA is heading back to the Final Four for a second consecutive season.
"I don't really think about it during the game, but when you're making shots, you're gaining confidence," said Afflalo, who made all six of his shots after halftime. "My teammates showed a lot of confidence in me. If I'm fortunate enough to make shots — just keep shooting, keep playing. That has to be a scorer's mentality."
|