Both teams were unranked. UCLA was underappreciated and Missouri was unheralded.
The Tigers were trying to get to the school’s first Final Four, while the Bruins’ display case shows why their fans tend to be disappointed at anything short of a championship.
In the end Thursday night’s encounter at the Compaq Center came down to which team could put down its baggage and play unencumbered by history or expectations.
That turned out to be Missouri, which moved on to the Elite Eight by a score of 82-73.
The Tigers (24-11), the 12th seed in the West, had never beaten the Bruins (21-12), the 8th seed, in five previous meetings dating back to 1956.
The last, in the 1995 NCAA tournament, was certainly the most memorable, as UCLA won on a buzzer shot to take one more step toward what would be its most recent national title.
The Bruins went on a mini-run about three minutes into the second half as senior forward Matt Barnes scored nine straight points to give UCLA a 43-36 lead.
Guard Clarence Gilbert, the Tigers’ lone senior, cut the gap to four with a shot and a free throw five minutes later.
One of the Tigers’ usual weapons, the three-point shot, deserted them in the early going.
The Tigers went 1-for-8 in long-range attempts in the first half before Rickey Paulding hit two straight three-pointers from the left side to even the score at 26-26 with just over 2 minutes left.
Paulding, a sophomore guard from Detroit, added another basket with about a minute to go to give the Tigers a 30-28 halftime lead.
Star Missouri forward Kareem Rush, who had averaged almost 22 points a game in his last three outings, was held to four points in the first half.
The two teams had entirely different experiences coming into this test.
Missouri had an easy time with Miami (Fla.) and Ohio State and came into the regional semifinals with the largest combined margin of victory of any team in the pod.
UCLA, meanwhile, was coming off its emotional double-overtime win over top-seeded Cincinnati in the second round.
The hero of that game, center Dan Gadzuric, who scored a career-high 26 points and hauled in 13 rebounds, continued to rebound well early with six to his credit in the first half, but managed only six points.
The game was delayed for two minutes early in the second half as the scoreboard system went dead.
Tournament history
UCLA (85-30)
Steve Lavin
2002: beat Mississippi 80-58; beat Cincinnati 105-101, 2OT.
2001: beat Hofstra 61-48; beat Utah State 75-50; lost to Duke 76-63.
2000: beat Ball State 65-57; beat Maryland 105-70; lost to Iowa State 80-56.
1999: lost to Detroit 56-53.
1998: beat Miami 65-62; beat Michigan 85-82; lost to Kentucky 94-68.
1997: beat Charleston Southern 109-75; beat Xavier, Ohio 96-83; beat Iowa State 74-73, OT; lost to Minnesota 80-72.
Jim Harrick
1996: lost to Princeton 43-41.
1995: beat Florida International 92-56; beat Missouri 75-74; beat Mississippi State 86-67; beat Connecticut 102-96; beat Oklahoma State 74-61; beat Arkansas 89-78. NCAA champion.
1994: lost to Tulsa 112-102.
1993: beat Iowa State 81-70; lost to Michigan 86-84, OT.
1992: beat Robert Morris 73-53; beat Louisville 85-69; beat New Mexico State 85-78; lost to Indiana 106-79.
1991: lost to Penn State 74-69.
1990: beat Alabama-Birmingham 68-56; beat Kansas 71-70; lost to Duke 90-81.
1989: beat Iowa State 84-74; lost to North Carolina 88-81.
Walt Hazzard
1987: beat Central Michigan 92-73; lost to Wyoming 78-68.
Larry Farmer
1983: lost to Utah 67-61.
Larry Brown
1981: lost to Brigham Young 78-55.
1980: beat Old Dominion 87-74; beat DePaul 77-71; beat Ohio State 72-68; beat Clemson 85-74; beat Purdue 67-63; lost to Louisville 59-54. NCAA runnerup.
Gary Cunningham
1979: beat Pepperdine 76-71; beat San Francisco 99-81; lost to DePaul 95-91.
1978: beat Kansas 83-76; lost to Arkansas 74-70.
Gene Bartow
1977: beat Louisville 87-79; lost to Idaho State 76-75.
1976: beat San Diego State 74-64; beat Pepperdine 70-61; beat Arizona 82-66; lost to Indiana 65-51; beat Rutgers 106-92. Final Four.
John Wooden
1975: beat Michigan 103-91, OT; beat Montana 67-64; beat Arizona State 89-75; beat Louisville 75-74, OT; beat Kentucky 92-85. NCAA champion.
1974: beat Dayton 111-100, 3OT; beat San Francisco 83-60; lost to North Carolina State 80-77, 2OT; beat Kansas 78-61. Final Four.
1973: beat Arizona State 98-81; beat San Francisco 54-39; beat Indiana 70-59; beat Memphis State 87-66. NCAA champion.
1972: beat Weber State 90-58; beat Long Beach State 73-57; beat Louisville 96-77; beat Florida State 81-76. NCAA champion.
1971: beat Brigham Young 91-73; beat Long Beach State 57-55; beat Kansas 68-60; beat Villanova 68-62. NCAA champion.
1970: beat Long Beach State 88-65; beat Utah State 101-79; beat New Mexico 93-77; beat Jacksonville 80-69. NCAA champion.
1969: beat New Mexico State 53-38; beat Santa Clara 90-52; beat Drake 85-82; beat Purdue 92-72. NCAA champion.
1968: beat New Mexico State 58-49; beat Santa Clara 87-66; beat Houston 101-69; beat North Carolina 78-55. NCAA champion.
1967: beat Wyoming 109-60; beat Pacific 80-64; beat Houston 73-58; beat Dayton 79-64. NCAA champion.
1965: beat Brigham Young 100-76; beat San Francisco 101-93; beat Wichita State 108-89; beat Michigan 91-80. NCAA champion.
1964: beat Seattle 95-90; beat San Francisco 76-72; beat Kansas State 90-84; beat Duke 98-83. NCAA champion.
1963: lost to Arizona State 93-79; lost to San Francisco 76-75.
1962: beat Utah State 73-62; beat Oregon State 88-69; lost to Cincinnati 72-70; lost to Wake Forest 82-80. Final Four.
1956: lost to San Francisco 72-61; beat Seattle 94-70.
1952: lost to Santa Clara 68-59; lost to Oklahoma City 55-53.
1950: lost to Bradley 73-59; lost to Brigham Young 83-62.
Missouri (16-19)
Quin Snyder
2002: beat Miami 93-80; beat Ohio State 83-67.
2001: beat Georgia 70-68; lost to Duke 94-81.
2000: lost to North Carolina 84-70.
Norm Stewart
1999: lost to New Mexico 61-59.
1995: beat Indiana 65-60; lost to UCLA 75-74.
1994: beat Navy 76-53; beat Wisconsin 109-96; beat Syracuse 98-88, OT; lost to Arizona 92-72.
1993: lost to Temple 75-61.
1992: beat West Virginia 89-78; lost to Seton Hall 88-71.
1990: lost to Northern Iowa 74-71.
1989: beat Creighton 85-69; beat Texas 108-89; lost to Syracuse 83-80.
1988: lost to Rhode Island 87-80.
1987: lost to Xavier, Ohio 70-69.
1986: lost to Alabama-Birmingham 66-64.
1983: lost to Iowa 77-63.
1982: beat Marquette 73-69; lost to Houston 79-78.
1981: lost to Lamar 71-67.
1980: beat San Jose State 61-51; beat Notre Dame 87-84; lost to LSU 68-63.
1978: lost to Utah 86-79, 2OT.
1976: beat Washington 69-67; beat Texas Tech 86-75; lost to Michigan 95-88.
George Edwards
1944: lost to Utah 45-35; beat Pepperdine 61-46.
