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The scenes inside the UCLA locker room were similar to what you might expect after a long trip in late January.
Players sat in their lockers, some looking at their phones, others preoccupied with conversations with their teammates. No one celebrated Saturday at the Golden 1 Center. The only thing that reminded me of the special time of the year was the massive NCAA tournament bracket placed at the end of the room. The Bruins moved forward, allowing named sticker slapper Russell Stong IV to advance his UCLA to the next round.
A reporter asked senior guard David Singleton what the team plans to do to commemorate this latest win as part of another deep run into March.
“Team film session and recovery,” the walk-on interrupted.
Here they are. this is what they do.
UCLA has advanced to the Sweet 16 for the third time this season.
The Bruins keep playing because another trend continued.
After shrugging off a big backlash from the Northwest, who pulled off a 13-point deficit in the second half, second-seeded UCLA held off the seventh-seeded Wildcats for a hard-fought 68-63 victory in the second round.
It was a redeeming victory for the Bruins.
UCLA’s Tiger Campbell had a shot against Northwestern in the first half of Saturday.
(Wally Scully/Los Angeles Times)
After missing a late free throw in the Pac-12 Tournament Championship, point guard Tiger Campbell won 12-12, including six in a row in the final three minutes.
Singleton, who went scoreless in the title game against Arizona, made up the only 3-pointer of the night to give the Bruins a 62-56 lead with 1:52 remaining.
Freshman guard Dylan Andrews, who missed a 3-pointer at the end of Arizona’s game a week ago, hit a 3-pointer from nearly the same spot on the court with nine minutes remaining against Northwestern. Andrews also made two free throws with 20 seconds left after the departure of Singleton, who had to leave the game with an injured ankle.
Andrews said assistant coach Rod Palmer told him in a timeout call that the Wildcats would likely pick him to shoot the free throws, allowing him to start his routine once he stepped onto the line. He said he made it
“I just spin the ball, do two dribbles, take a deep breath, clear my head and just see myself and the basket,” said Andrews. “I made both”
Singleton returned to the bench before the end of the game, wiggling his fingers to the cheers of the crowd, and was widely relieved when he left the court.
“I just rolled my ankle,” said Singleton, who was diagnosed with a sprain. “
In what was the biggest game in Big Ten school basketball history, the Bruins needed their full commitment to stop a valiant effort from Northwestern.
UCLA’s Kenneth Nuuba will battle Northwestern’s Ty Berry for a loose ball in the first half.
(Wally Scully/Los Angeles Times)
UCLA’s Amari Bailey (left) and Adem Bona (right) battle Northwestern for a loose ball in the second half.
(Wally Scully/Los Angeles Times)
Jaime Jaquez Jr. passed Bill Walton on UCLA’s all-time scoring list with 24 points, Amari Bailey added 14 points, and Campbell threw the ball in the air after the final buzzer. Scored 12 points with 7 assists and no turnovers.
UCLA (31-5) will face Sunday’s second-round winner between Gonzaga and Texas Christian in the regional semifinals at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Thursday. The Bruins join Houston and Arkansas as the only teams to advance to the final three Suite 16s, possibly with Gonzaga.
The Bruins’ next destination will be accompanied by some special support.
“Okay let’s go to Vegas!” tweeted injured guard Jalen Clarke, adding a tearful emoji.
An incredibly intense, back-and-forth game when Singleton, who missed the first four 3-pointers, rose confidently and eventually dropped one to give his team a 6-point lead in the second half. was leaning in the direction of UCLA.
“Once you stop believing in yourself, you’re done,” Singleton said. “So I’m always confident. I think every shot is going well.”
Northwestern (22-12) never got closer than four points to go. Boo his buoy missed a layup with 13 seconds left and his team effectively ended the Wildcats’ chances on his 6th down. Bouillet finished with his 18 points, Matthew Nicholson added his 17 points, and Chase Odige scored all his 16 points in the second half for the Wildcats.
Jaquez now has 1,773 points in four seasons, surpassing Walton’s 1,767 points in three seasons.
“I will definitely tell Bill when I see him,” Jacquets said of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Singleton said that once the Bruins return to Westwood, they’ll probably gather at Stong’s apartment to celebrate.
“The game has one TV. The other is the TV in Super Smash Bros.”
The party doesn’t get too intense. We all know there are more games to play and more secure wins.
“I’m going to celebrate, but I know the work isn’t done,” Singleton said. “We made it to Sweet 16, but we go to school where we don’t play anything but national championships.”
2 wins, 4 more.
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