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Brooks' late shot ends unbeaten start for No. 1 UCLA

Jan 6, 2007 - 11:56 PM EUGENE, Oregon (Ticker) -- Aaron Brooks and Oregon saw its perfect start end in its last game. They made sure UCLA tasted its first defeat as well.

Brooks hit the game-winning jumper with 13 seconds left and scored 25 points as No. 17 Oregon ended the undefeated start of top-ranked UCLA with a 68-66 upset in a Pac-10 Conference showdown.

UCLA's loss left Clemson (16-0) as the only undefeated team in Division I.

Leading, 40-30, at halftime and throughout most of the second half, the Ducks (14-1, 2-1 Pac-10) nearly collapsed as Darren Collison's 3-pointer capped an 11-2 spurt for the Bruins and knotted the score at 66-66 with 22 seconds left.

"We knew UCLA was going to work hard for 40 minutes, and we would have to match them," Brooks said. "We were able to outlast them today."

Instead of settling for the final shot, Brooks raced Oregon down the floor and hit a pull-up jumper from the right baseline.

"I was dribbling down the baseline, and I heard Collison call for a trap, so I wanted to shoot before they got to me," Brooks said. "I wanted to run some more time off the clock, but I was open, so I just took it."

"I thought Brooks was spectacular," UCLA coach Ben Howland said. "He's got an outstanding talent, and he used it today."

Following a timeout by UCLA, Collison attempted to penetrate before kicking the ball out to Josh Shipp, who faked a shot against forward Maarty Luenen before heaving up a hanging 3-pointer that fell short as time expired.

"The last play of the game was really my fault," Howland said. "I wanted to go for the win. I thought we would be able to penetrate and kick out for a three, and it wasn't there. We were really tentative and did not get a good shot at the end of the game."

Brooks made 9-of-13 shots and Luenen scored 18 points for the Ducks, who fell one win short of tying the school record of 14 wins to start the season with an 84-82 setback at USC on Thursday.

"Our team has really been through a lot, and to their credit they have battled through it," Oregon coach Ernie Kent said. "I appreciate them for sticking with us, and sticking with themselves."

Shipp and Arron Afflalo - who was held scoreless on 0-of-5 shooting in the first half - scored 14 points apiece for the Bruins (14-1, 2-1), who were hurt by 12-of-18 free-throw shooting.

UCLA, which lost in its previous trip here when ranked No. 1 on February 16, 1974, also committed 17 turnovers and shot 42 percent (23-of-55).

"It comes down to the little things," Howland said. "We made some mistakes late in the game, looking for a lob, and getting charges, those kind of mistakes."

Kent, a player on the 1974 team that knocked off the Bruins, improved to 9-11 against UCLA despite being the services of Malik Hairston, who sat out with a heel injury. The junior guard averaged 13.4 points and 6.2 rebounds.

"I thought this game was going to be too intensity-filled to bring him back, because he's a competitor and he would have wanted to go out their and battle," Kent said.

Bryce Taylor scored 11 points and Tajuan Porter nine for Oregon, which shot 70 percent (14-of-20) in the first half to grab the double-digit lead.

Collison finished with 11 points and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute managed just six while battling foul issues for the Bruins.