UCLA
5-2,0-0Pac-12
UC Riverside
3-5,0-0Big West
Andrews' Game-Winner Lifts UCLA Past UC Riverside, 66-65
November 30, 2023 | Men's Basketball
LOS ANGELES – Sophomore Dylan Andrews made a game-winning shot in the final four seconds to lift the UCLA men's basketball team past UC Riverside, 66-65, in a nonconference game on Thursday evening in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom.
With nine seconds remaining and the Bruins down by one point, 65-64, Andrews dribbled the ball past half court. The sophomore hesitated near the top of the key, dribbled downhill to his right towards the basket, and finished in front of the rim on a bank shot to put UCLA ahead, 66-65, with 3.4 seconds remaining.
UCLA's defense held strong on UC Riverside's last possession, as the Highlanders did not get off a shot.
Andrews finished Thursday's contest with a team-high 17 points off of 7-of-12 shooting from the field and 3-of-8 from behind the 3-point arc, to go along with five assists and one steal.
"Give credit to Coach Magpayo of UC Riverside because, you look at their record, it just doesn't match up to the way they played today," UCLA associate head coach Darren Savino said. "They had us running around, scrambling, really difficult to guard. Scouting report says they're going to shoot a lot of threes. The only way they can beat us is to make a lot of threes. We had plenty of days to prepare. We thought we did a good job preparing for it. But obviously, tonight you see we did not. That's our fault as their coaching staff. We didn't do a good enough job I guess to overemphasize, re-emphasize the three-point shot."
Savino served as the Bruins' acting head coach on Thursday, as head coach Mick Cronin was sidelined with a COVID illness and unable to coach. Cronin, in his fifth season as The Michael Price Family UCLA Men's Head Basketball Coach, is expected to rejoin the team soon.
The Bruins (5-2) struggled to shoot the ball in the opening 10 minutes of the first half, connecting on just five of their first 16 shots. However, the Bruins' defense kept UCLA in the game, and the score was tied at 15-15 after 10 minutes.
Andrews and Berke Buyuktuncel then led the Bruins offense back on track. Andrews made a mid-range jumper from the free throw line, while Buyuktuncel scored in the paint on back-to-back possessions to give UCLA a 24-23 lead. Andrews followed that with a 3-pointer, giving the Bruins a 27-24 lead with 3:36 to go in the half.
Andrews, from nearby Gardena, Calif., made his fifth basket of the night to cap the scoring for the Bruins in the opening frame, a triple from the top of the arc, giving him 13 points in the half. He finished the half 5-for-8 from the field and 3-for-6 from bonus distance as UCLA took a 34-32 lead into the halftime break.
Defensively, UCLA held UC Riverside (3-5) to 2-for-10 from the field over the first five minutes of the half. However, UC Riverside would quickly go on an 8-0 over the next two minutes to take a 43-42 lead with 13:34 remaining.
UCLA used a 13-1 run over the games next five minutes to re-establish their lead. Will McClendon made a 3-point basket and Aday Mara capped the run with a dunk to extend UCLA's lead to 11, 55-44, its' largest of the game.
McClendon made another shot from bonus distance to give UCLA a 58-52 lead with just under six minutes to go, before following that with his third triple of the night to make it a 61-55 game with four minutes left in the contest.
UC Riverside tied the game at 63-63 with a three from Isaiah Moses with 1:38 to go before the Bruins called a timeout. After the Bruins failed to convert on their next possession, the Highlanders took a 65-63 lead with 48 seconds remaining.
On the ensuing possession Mara was fouled and went to the line, shooting two foul shots with 41 seconds to go. He missed the first one before making the second, and UCLA trailed 65-64 before getting a stop on the defensive end. Andrews took the ball down the court and scored the game-winner with 3.4 seconds left on the clock, connecting on the game-winner.
UCLA will return to action at No. 18-ranked Villanova on Saturday, Dec. 9. The game will take place in Philadelphia, Pa. UCLA's game against Villanova will be nationally televised on FOX and will begin at 4 p.m. PT (7 p.m. ET).
