UCLA
18-1, 5-1
Utah
12-5, 3-2
No. 4 UCLA Outlasts Utah, 83-82
January 14, 2017 | Men's Basketball
SALT LAKE CITY โ Lonzo Ball scored a team-high 17 points and had eight assists to lead No. 4 UCLA past Utah, 83-82, before a sellout crowd of 15,027 at the 18 Center on Saturday afternoon.
TJ Leaf recorded his ninth double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, helping UCLA (18-1, 5-1 Pac-12) extend its win streak to five games.
"I'm just proud of our guys' effort," UCLA head coach Steve Alford said. "We didn't shoot the ball particularly well, but we found a way to win. I just can't say enough about this team. We are almost at 20 games, and this team continues to do things that breed winning. I'm appreciative of that."
UCLA finished with five players who scored in double figures. Thomas Welsh had 16 points, connecting on 6 of 7 shots, while Bryce Alford followed his 37-point performance on Thursday with 15 points on Saturday. Alford, who has shot over 60 percent from 3-point range in six Pac-12 games, made three 3-pointers at Utah. Aaron Holiday added 14 points, including the decisive go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:52 to play.
Lorenzo Bonam led Utah (12-5, 3-2) with 19 points, while Devon Daniels and Kyle Kuzma each registered 15 points.
UCLA's wins at Colorado and Utah last week marked the fourth time in six seasons that a Pac-12 team had swept the two-game road series in the Rocky Mountains. UCLA accomplished that road sweep in 2013, while Arizona earned the sweep in 2014 and 2015.
Trailing 77-75 with 2:54 to play on Saturday, UCLA nailed 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to take the lead. Alford was fouled as he made a 3-pointer with 2:38 remaining, giving the Bruins a 78-77 cushion, and missed the ensuing free throw.
After Utah's Sedrick Barefield answered with a 3-point basket with 2:18 left in the second half, Holiday responded for UCLA with a 3-pointer at the 1:52 mark.
Neither team was able to score a point until the final seconds. Alford missed a 3-point attempt with 22 seconds left and Utah had one more opportunity, calling a timeout at the 13-second mark. UCLA had three fouls to give and, with 5.1 seconds left, Utah's Kuzma missed a potential game-winning 3-point shot. Welsh corralled the rebound for UCLA and hit both free throws, pushing the Bruins ahead, 83-80, with 1.0 second remaining.
Utah's inbound pass traveled the length of the court and into the hands of Bonam, who turned around and hit a mid-range two-point basket at the buzzer.
The Utes erased a 42-40 deficit at halftime by scoring 11 consecutive points to start the second half. UCLA responded by recapturing the lead with 10 minutes to go in regulation, going on a 13-4 scoring run, capped by four straight points scored by Holiday.
The Bruins led by as many as eight points in the opening period until Utah scored eight unanswered points to tie the game, 37-37, with 2:16 to play. Alford gave the Bruins a two-point cushion, connecting on a 3-point basket with four seconds left in the opening half.
UCLA will return to action against Arizona State in Pauley Pavilion on Thursday, Jan. 19. Game time is 8 p.m. (PT). UCLA's game against the Sun Devils will be nationally televised by FOX Sports 1, with Gus Johnson and Steve Lavin on the call.
