UCLA
17-4,8-2Pac-12
USC
15-6,7-3Pac-12
UCLA Men's Basketball Loses at USC, 77-64
January 26, 2023 | Men's Basketball
LOS ANGELES โ The No. 8-ranked UCLA men's basketball team suffered a 77-64 loss to USC on Thursday night at the Galen Center.
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Senior guard Boogie Ellis had a game-high 31 points to lead the Trojans (15-6, 7-3 Pac-12) past the Bruins (17-4, 8-2). Ellis fueled a second-half comeback for the hosts, scoring 27 points in the second stanza alone as USC outscored UCLA 52-27 to erase a 12-point halftime deficit.
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Four players finished in double figures for the Bruins. Senior guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. led UCLA in scoring (15 points) and rebounding (eight). Redshirt senior guard Tyger Campbell (seven assists) and fifth-year guard David Singleton each notched 14 points, and freshman forward Amari Bailey added 11 points over 23 minutes in his first game-action since Dec. 21.
POSTGAME VIDEO: Coach Cronin | J. Jaquez Jr., D. Singleton ย
UCLA overcame a slow start to build up a double-digit lead by the halftime break.
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Trailing 14-9 at the 12:28 mark of the first half, UCLA scored 11 unanswered points to go ahead, 20-14, with 6:32 remaining. A dunk from freshman forward Adem Bona sparked that rally, which was capped off by consecutive 3-point makes from Jaquez Jr. and Singleton.
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Just a few minutes later, the Bruins pulled off another lengthy run, scoring 10 in a row to make it a 30-19 game at the 2:20 mark. Singleton and Campbell each drained key 3-point baskets during that spree, while Bailey scored four points on a left-handed lay-up in transition and a pair of free-throw makes.
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UCLA ultimately went into the locker room with a 37-25 lead after Campbell connected on a close-range jumper with just six seconds left in the half.
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USC responded in the second half, going on a 19-6 run out of the break to pull ahead at 44-43 with 12:14 left in the game. The Trojans would not surrender the lead the rest of the night.
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While UCLA would remain in striking distance for most of the remainder of the game, Ellis hit a 3-ball at the 1:25 mark to push USC's lead to nine. The Trojans hit a flurry of free throws in the final 90 seconds of the game to bring the margin as highย as 15.
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UCLA returns to Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom for a pair of home games next week, hosting Washington at 6:00 p.m. PT on Thursday, Feb. 2 (TV: FS1) and Washington State at 4:00 p.m. PT on Saturday, Feb. 4 (TV: Pac-12 Networks).
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