UCLA
21-11
Arizona
26-7
UCLA Falls in Overtime to Arizona, 78-67
March 09, 2018 | Men's Basketball
LAS VEGAS โ UCLA took top-seeded Arizona to overtime but could not score in the extra time, falling to the Wildcats 78-67 in the semifinals of the Pac-12 Tournament.
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The Bruins (21-11) tied the contest, 67-67, on a driving layup by Jaylen Hands with just eight seconds left in regulation. UCLA forced an Arizona turnover and got possession of the ball with 1.9 seconds remaining. A long three-point attempt by Aaron Holiday, who finished with 15 points, fell short at the buzzer as the game continued into overtime.
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"Well, I'm really proud of our guys," said Steve Alford, The Michael Price Family Head Men's Basketball Coach. "I thought that you had two teams that were really fighting and playing hard. I thought our guys gave tremendous effort. I give [Arizona's] defense a lot of credit in the second half."
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UCLA led at halftime, 30-26, before Arizona (26-7) opened the second half on a 7-0 scoring run.
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After having tied the game, 67-67, to finish the second half, the Wildcats outscored UCLA in the overtime session by an 11-0 margin. The Wildcats were dominant in overtime, out-rebounding the Bruins by a 10-1 advantage.
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UCLA missed six three-pointers in the extra session and all seven of its field goal attempts.
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Arizona freshman Deandre Ayton scored 32 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. The Pac-12 Conference Player of the Year, Ayton shot 13 for 16 from the field and made his lone three-point attempt.
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Senior Thomas Welsh finished with 17 points and 17 rebounds, logging his 18th double-double of the season. Freshman Kris Wilkes scored 12 points in the loss.
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Friday evening's game marked UCLA's fifth appearance in the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals in the last six seasons.
