It was snowballing contained in the outdated basketball barn, a once-quiet area rocking. With one empty possession after one other for UCLA, the decibel degree soared. College students behind one basket furiously waved white towels.
Solely minutes earlier, it had appeared white flags have been to ensure that Colorado whereas being run off its personal court docket.
The ninth-ranked Bruins led by 17 factors early within the second half and appeared on the verge of a uncommon breather in Pac-12 play. As a substitute, with simply 36 seconds left, they have been virtually breathless.
Down by simply two, Colorado had the ball with an opportunity to tie the rating or take the lead. Freshman guard Ok.J. Simpson drove towards the basket. UCLA’s Jules Bernard thrust his arms into the air to contest the shot.
The ball bounced off the rim and Johnny Juzang was there to seize the rebound with 17 seconds left, the pivotal sequence within the Bruins’ 71-65 victory.
“I used to be proper subsequent to their bench and I heard their coach say ‘Assault,’” Bernard mentioned, “so I took it somewhat private. [Simpson] drove exhausting, tried to cross over to his left and I didn’t need to foul as a result of if it goes up, it has an opportunity of stepping into and I didn’t need to give him a three-point play. So simply contest, arms straight up, and don’t foul and make the shot robust on him.”
Colorado college students tried to make issues exhausting on Juzang as he stepped to the free-throw line with 16 seconds left and UCLA holding a 65-63 lead, chanting an expletive at him. Juzang made each free throws and the Bruins (13-2 total, 5-1 Pac-12) prevailed after Colorado’s Jabari Walker misplaced his grip on the ball on a drive towards the basket, stopping one other comeback.
It was the second gut-check win after UCLA persevered in related style two nights earlier towards Utah. Together with his group main solely 62-61 after a Walker dunk that had the gang roaring, Bruins coach Mick Cronin prolonged his arms, palms down, and pushed them towards the court docket to settle his gamers.
UCLA level guard Tyger Campbell, who had missed his final 9 three-pointers, made one with 1½ minutes left to increase his group’s benefit to 65-61.
“I simply got here off the display screen and my man went beneath and I’m a assured shooter,” Campbell mentioned, “so I simply shot it and it went in, so I’m simply grateful for that.”
Juzang completed with 23 factors on nine-for-18 taking pictures, together with a number of essential late jumpers, to assist the Bruins win regardless of an prolonged chilly spell during which they opened the second half making solely 5 of their first 17 photographs. The defensive effort that had pressured 14 turnovers within the first half was additionally not practically pretty much as good within the second half.
“It was unbelievable, our protection within the first half,” Cronin mentioned. “It was equally dangerous within the second half. I advised the fellows at halftime, ‘We’re not going to win within the teenagers; we’re both going to stand up 20 or it’s going to be a massacre.’ It turned a massacre however I used to be pleased with the fellows.”
Walker completed with 19 factors for the Buffaloes (12-6, 4-4), who completed with 21 turnovers to UCLA’s 11.
The Bruins acquired an early raise from middle Myles Johnson in an sudden function. After Cody Riley picked up a foul solely 23 seconds into the sport, Johnson entered and scored the primary 4 factors on a bounce hook and a layup. He completed with eight factors on four-for-four taking pictures to go along with two blocks, two rebounds and a steal.
UCLA guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. additionally supplied a lift with 14 factors, together with a nook three-pointer to snap an 0-for-9 streak from past the arc. Bruins legend Invoice Walton, who referred to as the sport as an analyst for the Pac-12 Community, pointed at Jaquez in a hallway on his method out of the sector.
“Yeah, Invoice,” Jaquez mentioned in acknowledgment as Walton walked previous.
There was loads to have a good time heading right into a showdown towards third-ranked Arizona on Tuesday inside Pauley Pavilion, which can permit all followers for the primary time since Dec. 1.
“Making an attempt to maintain discovering a method,” Jaquez mentioned. “We’ve had some leads at half [that disintegrated]. I feel that’s simply sort of us as a group having to take the following step to be the place we need to be, is increasing on these leads.”
They survived the lack of one other huge lead, discovering a option to win whereas silencing the gang as soon as extra.
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