UCLA
21-11
Arizona
26-7
UCLA Falls in Overtime to Arizona, 78-67
March 09, 2018 | Men's Basketball
LAS VEGAS – 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.
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.
"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."
UCLA led at halftime, 30-26, before Arizona (26-7) opened the second half on a 7-0 scoring run.
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.
UCLA missed six three-pointers in the extra session and all seven of its field goal attempts.
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.
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.
Friday evening's game marked UCLA's fifth appearance in the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals in the last six seasons.
