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Josiah Johnson, Jason Kapono and Jon Crispin contemplate a loss as their game against Oregon slips a

This time, their shots fell.

This time, they didn’t implode.

This time, the rebounds stayed in their hands.

This time, the guy with the paper bag over his head stood up and made an “L” with his arms while a crowd of 9,008 at Pauley Pavilion screamed out “U-C-L-A” around the arena.

But this time, just like the last six, the Bruins lost. Yes, the game went to overtime, and yes, UCLA (4-12, 2-6 Pac-10) nearly beat a nationally ranked team, but the Bruins still found little solace in a 96-91 loss to No. 22 Oregon (16-4, 6-3 Pac-10).

“It seems like we have a victory all locked up, and then it slips out of our hands,” sophomore Cedric Bozeman said. “Another game lost.”

The reporters who for weeks have laid into head coach Steve Lavin’s team for just about everything short of its looks tried to lob some softball questions to the beleaguered boss.

But Lavin wouldn’t have any of it.

“I feel the kids competed tonight, but moral victories don’t put a ‘W’ in the win column,” he said.

For the second time in their last three games, the Bruins had a chance to win. After trapping Oregon’s Luke Ridnour near halfcourt and forcing a 35-second violation, UCLA found itself tied at 81 with 4.2 seconds left on the clock.

The Bruins called two timeouts before finally inbounding the ball to sophomore Ryan Walcott, who dribbled to the top of the key and launched a three-pointer.

It was his first shot attempt of the game, and it didn’t even hit the rim.

Lavin said that the play called for Walcott to get the ball to sophomore Dijon Thompson, who was guarded by Oregon’s Robert Johnson, a less mobile forward. If the defense pinched in on Thompson, he was to kick it out to senior Jason Kapono in the corner.

It sounded good enough, had things actually transpired that way.

“It’s been that kind of year,” Lavin said.

UCLA appeared in good shape entering overtime. Three Oregon players had four fouls, while only Kapono was in serious trouble for the Bruins. But the Ducks hit two three-pointers and Thompson lost the ball during the Bruins’ last gasp.

“We tried to get a three off, but they played zone and caught us off guard,” Kapono said.

For the first time this year, UCLA got off to a strong start. Freshman Ryan Hollins keyed several breaks with blocked shots and the Bruins jumped out to a 22-11 lead. But the lead disappeared even faster when Lavin subbed Hollins, Bozeman and TJ Cummings out, and then yanked Kapono minutes later.

“During a season like this, there is not a game where you don’t look back at 9 or 10 coaching mistakes,” Lavin said. “I think I had a triple-double of coaching errors tonight.”

Oregon head coach Ernie Kent was a bit kinder on Lavin and the Bruins.

“UCLA put it all together tonight,” Kent said. “For their crowd to cheer them off was great. UCLA found itself in this game.”

After the game, a still optimistic Lavin talked at length about the Pac-10 Tournament, which is now for all intents and purposes the only means by which the Bruins can make the NCAA Tournament.

“This is a year where our traditional goals of winning 20 games and winning the conference aren’t very realistic,” Lavin said.

But with Oregon State’s upset over USC last night, UCLA is in position to fall to ninth place in the conference if favored Washington beats Washington State tonight. In that case, Lavin’s “best 4-12 team in the country,” wouldn’t even make the Pac-10 Tournament.

•••

Sophomore Andre Patterson did not play for the second consecutive game, despite once again begging coaches and trainers to let him suit up. He is day-to-day.