UCLA edges Northwestern to return to Sweet 16; David Singleton injured

UCLA’s Adem Bona dunks over Northwestern’s Brooks Barnhizer in the first half of the Bruins’ 68-63 win in the second round of the NCAA tournament Saturday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

How Sweet it is.

For the third time in as many seasons, UCLA is advancing to the NCAA tournament’s second week.

The Bruins made it to the Sweet 16 again because another trend persisted Saturday at the Golden 1 Center: The final minutes continued to be winning time.

Shaking off a huge Northwestern rally in which the Wildcats erased a 13-point deficit, second-seeded UCLA held off the seventh-seeded Wildcats for a 68-63 victory in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

The Bruins’ celebration was muted because of another late-season injury.

UCLA senior guard David Singleton, whose three-pointer had given his team a late six-point lead, was hurt when he slipped with 20 seconds left. He had to be helped off the court with 20 seconds left but returned and wiggled his fingers as he walked off the court to cheers from the crowd.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 24 points, Amari Bailey added 14 and Tyger Campbell had 12 for the Bruins, who pulled away after making all the plays they needed to in the final minutes. Campbell hurled the ball into the air after the final second ticked off the clock.

UCLA (31-5) will play the winner of the second-round game between Gonzaga and Texas Christian in a regional semifinal on Thursday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Boo Buie scored 18 points, Matthew Nicholson had 17 and Chase Audige all 16 of his in the second half for Northwestern (22-12), which had its chances in the biggest game in school history given a lack of basketball tradition.

An incredibly intense, back-and-forth game was tilting in UCLA’s direction after Singleton buried a three-pointer to push the Bruins into a 62-56 lead with 1:45 left after an Adem Bona block had given their team the possession. Northwestern’s Brooks Barnhizer made two free throws to pull the Wildcats within 62-58.

UCLA’s Tyger…


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Author : LA Times

Publish date : 2023-03-19 03:12:04

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