Bru-Wins! #4 UCLA Tops #8 Arizona for 25th Straight Home Victory, 82-73
The Bruins overcame another slow start before winning easily.
It’s the type of story you might see on the big screen at the Village Theatre in Westwood. The dominant heroes fall behind early and make an unbelievable comeback to win just as the movie ends.
Well, if that’s the case, this year’s team seems to have more sequels than Rocky or Star Wars, but, in the end, the good guys won again.
Tonight, the Bruins were up against the Pac-12 Basketball equivalent of the Evil Empire — the Arizona Wildcats.
UCLA began the game by missing their first five shots. By the time Jaime Jaquez, Jr. scored the Bruins’ first basket, they were already trailing 4-0 and two minutes and twenty-two seconds had elapsed. They wouldn’t score again until Jaquez finally got their second bucket three minutes and twenty-five seconds later, and before he made his second layup of the game, UCLA had fallen behind 13-2.
While it sure didn’t feel this way at the time, but it was almost like the Bruins were taunting the Wildcats like Rocky teased Clubber Lang in Rocky III.
Then, as if right on cue, the Bruins began delivering one heck of a beating to Arizona. For the remainder of the game, UCLA would go on to outscore the Wildcats 80-60.
But I’m getting ahead of the story.
With 11:32 to go in the first half, the Bruins still trailed 21-12 following an Azoulas Tubelis jumper.
Jaylen Clark hit a jumper to cut the Wildcat lead to seven, 21-14. Following an Arizona bucket, David Singleton nailed a three to cut the Wildcat lead to seven, 23-16.
But it was Clark who came through when the Bruins needed him.
Clark scored the next seven points, as part of a 15-0 Bruin run. First, it was a pair of free throws which were followed by a three-pointer. Meanwhile, a layup gave UCLA their first lead of the game 24-23.
By the time Arizona scored their next basket, UCLA had stretched the lead to six, 29-23, and the game was effectively over even though it wasn’t quite in the bag yet. That next Wildcat bucket didn’t come until there was 4:46 left in the half and it cut UCLA’s lead to four.
For the remainder of the half, the teams traded blows and it looked like the Bruins would take a five-point lead into the locker room, 40-35, but Cedric Henderson, Jr. hit a buzzer beater at the end of the first half to cut UCLA’s lead to three at the break, 40-37.
During the first four minutes of the second half, the Bruins stepped on the gas and opened up an 11-point lead, 48-37. Then, nine minutes later, the Bruins had managed to increase their lead to 14, 64-50, which proved to be their biggest lead of the game.
Not surprisingly, the game-winning basket was scored by Jaquez, who led the Bruins with 22 points on the night to go along with his ten rebounds. It came with just under two minutes to go and it gave UCLA a 74-61 lead.
Arizona tried to come back and even narrowed the gap to seven points with 45 seconds left, but it was too little too late for the Wildcats and the Bruins held on to win by nine, 83-74.
Jaquez wasn’t the only Bruin scoring more than 20 points tonight. Tyger Campbell also scored 21 for the Bruins while David Singleton added 17 more. Jaylen Clark, who was sidelined for all but two minutes of the second half with an injury to what seemed to be his foot, scored nine of his 11 points in the first half. He was seen on the bench in a walking boot after leaving the game with the injury.
Tonight’s win moves their home record to 17-0 and gives the Bruins their first perfect season at home since 2006-07. It also increases UCLA’s home winning streak to 25 games.
After the game, the players went and celebrated with the student section.
The only thing missing was one of the players standing at center court and proclaiming, “Yo! Adrian! We did it!”
UCLA’s next game won’t be until the Pac-12 Tournament Quarterfinals on Thursday, March 9th when they play the winner of the first round meeting between Colorado and Washington at 12 Noon PT on Pac-12 Networks.
Go Bruins!!!
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Congratulations to Coach Cronin on an outstanding regular season and getting his team in position to make a serious run at an NCAA championship.
This team might not be the most talented team to ever grace the floor of Pauley Pavilion in UCLA's history, but the team has shown that it has more courage and more heart than other more talented teams in recent UCLA history, and is very ready to meet and beat the challenges that lie ahead.
Win or lose, this team is going to grind, fight, and leave it all on the floor. And if they're the last team standing when March Madness draws to a close, this could be a team for the ages.
U-C-L-A Fight! Fight! Fight!
Let's go Bruins!
First of all, tonight's slow start is understandable, a different breed so to speak. It was a happy yet emotional night for the seniors and their families. The latter turned out en masse, never even sat down for a minute. These kids made their parents proud, their own heart beats and pulse rates tripled. How can you expect them to turn it on right at get go ?!?
Then after the first ten minutes, they turned it on. Bailey was sneakily agile, quick to score under the baskets. Bona's incredible leap and block probably surprised Walton too. He will be even more ferocious and intimidating at both ends as his game matures right before our eyes. I'd say to the ref to knock it off. Little stuffs here and there, leave him alone, please.
Singleton was a happy kid tonight. We saw him literally prancing around after the game. What a wonderful young man. His beautiful high arching three pointers will scare many in the tournaments. They went in as if they were laser guided. Tripleton is the right nickname for him.
Jaquez and Campbell played their hearts and soul out tonight. They gave it their all. Pauley fans will miss Campbell's big, infectious smile every time he heard some girls calling him out. He turned around, smiled as his unique hairdo waved. It is such an adoring image of him.
Tonight's packed crowds seemed unusually ecstatic, adrenaline fueled. Their excitements were off the charts from the get go. As I am on my way home, I can visualize many of them in Westwood still " party like it was 1999 " - just to paraphrase some lyrics from a hit song by the late Prince.
It is good to be young for them and at our age, to recall all that fond memories of having once attended UCLA whose mystique remains head and shoulder above many other schools.