UCLA Falls Apart Late, Loses to Colorado, 70-61
Just a miserable performance down the stretch from the Bruins.
UCLA had a golden opportunity in this game. With Southern Cal dropping a bad game to Utah, the Bruins had a chance to create some breathing room at the top of the conference. It was a chance to show that they belonged as the conference leaders.
Instead, they wilted under the pressure.
With 7:11 remaining in the game, Tyger Campbell hit a three-pointer to give UCLA a 57-55 lead. They would score a total of four more points the rest of the game, with three of them coming on a garbage-time three-pointer from Johnny Juzang with 19 seconds left, and watched as the Colorado Buffaloes raced away with a solid 70-61 win.
UCLA just collapsed down the stretch of this game, with the offense coming unglued when it mattered most. Turnovers plagued the Bruins at every turn, with the Bruins having 14 turnovers total in this game, with nine in the second half and six occurring over that final stretch of 7:11. UCLA just could not get out of its own way, keyed by disastrous performances from Jules Bernard, Jaime Jaquez, and Tyger Campbell. The Bruins could not afford bad performances on the road against a surging Colorado squad, and instead, they got them from three of their more important players.
Tyger Campbell in particular has gotten to the point where his overall play has become a problem for the Bruins. His defense is, in a word, miserable, which makes it even more baffling that he ended up guarding Colorado’s best player most of the game. McKinley Wright seemed to recognize early on that Campbell was not going to offer up much resistance, and he subsequently went off for 26 points on 10-16 shooting and six assists. This was just a trend for Campbell at this point, and the best-case scenario has been that he can keep things going on the offensive end to compensate. Unfortunately, Campbell was bad on that end as well, frequently forcing up poor shots and having four turnovers to his four assists. It got to a point where UCLA looked at its best in the second half when he was off the court. I don’t know what the solution is for UCLA the rest of the year, but the Bruins will need to figure things out in a hurry.
Jaime Jaquez was similarly bad in this game, which the Bruins could not afford. He was a non-factor on the offensive end, putting up a grand total of three points on 1-6 shooting and going 1-3 from the free-throw line. Yes, he put up solid rebounding numbers, but the Bruins needed some sort of interior presence with Cody Riley in foul trouble, and Jaquez failed to rise to the occasion.
There were positives from this game. UCLA’s defensive intensity was as good as it’s been all season, especially in the first half, and you’d have to like the Bruins’ chances down the stretch if they can keep that level of play up. Cody Riley looked solid when he wasn’t being legislated out of the game by poor officiating (seriously the refereeing in this game was abysmal stuff), and you could make a convincing argument that the Bruins did not go to him enough in the second half. Johnny Juzang had a great offensive performance, going an efficient 7-12 from the field and drawing a multitude of fouls on Colorado, where he went a cool 8-8 from the free-throw line. Jaylen Clark had an exceptional game, putting in a career-high 11 points through hard work on the offensive glass and hitting a three-point attempt.
All is not lost for the Bruins. They’re still in the pole position in the conference, and hold their destiny in their hands. But it doesn’t take away that this was a game that UCLA, quite literally, threw away, and that could haunt them this final week.
Johnny Juzang led the Bruins with 25 points. Jaime Jaquez led the team with eight rebounds, while Tyger Campbell led the Bruins with four assists. McKinley Wright led the Buffaloes with 26 points.
Three Takeaways
Player of the Game: Jaylen Clark - In a road matchup against a legitimately-good opponent, the Bruins needed some guys to step up, and Jaylen Clark was the only one who was able to do so. Clark had 11 points on an almost-perfect 5-6 from the field (he was forced into throwing a shot up late in this game thanks to his teammates), had four rebounds, and played strong defense. Clark really has earned more time as the year has progressed, and with how a few other Bruins are playing right now, I’m starting to think he should be seeing 20 minutes a game.
Area of Concern: Tyger Campbell - Just Tyger Campbell in general. This was just one game in a larger trendline this conference season, and the results have been less than ideal. The Bruins cannot afford to have Campbell continue to take steps back at this point, especially because there does not appear to be a solution in sight.
Fading Jaquez - Jaime Jaquez had an excellent game against Arizona a week ago. It is looking more and more like that was merely a blip in a season everyone would like to forget. It’s a bit unfair to blame Jaquez fully here, as he’s being asked to do way too much in the absence of both Chris Smith and Jalen Hill, but it has served as a reminder that Jaquez is more of a complementary piece than a focal point of the program. This isn’t a bad thing but it does require some fans to take a step back in their assessment.
The Bruins head up to Eugene to take on Oregon on Wednesday in a rescheduled game. The Bruins will need to win in order to keep their conference title hopes alive.
Go Bruins.
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I've been complaining about the officiating since back when it was the Pac-8. Basketball or football, it makes no difference. Shitty Pac-12 officiating is the gift that keeps on giving.
As a reminder, UCLA, Mick Cronin and Tyger Campbell are now 3-1 against Colorado and McKinley Wright. That’s not failing.