Bruins Can’t Hold Lead In PAC-12 Tournament Final

(East Los Angeles, CA) March 16, 2022 [From The Editor’s Desk]: The Las Vegas PAC-12 Tournament Week environment was highly conducive for college basketball fans to enjoy another look at what’s coming in these next few exciting and unpredictable weeks during “March Madness” and the Men’s Division on the 2022 “Road To The Final 4.” This glimpse of the “near-future” featured two very accomplished NCAA Division 1 university programs, the UCLA Bruins and the University of Arizona Wildcats playing in their own PAC-12 Tournament. Now, let’s get on to the game recap.

[Game Summary]  {1st Half} Most fans were expecting a great 1 vs. 2 seed “match-up” as the Bruins, led by their triple threat position players, Tyger Campbell, Point Guard, Johnny Juzang, Forward, and Jaime Jaquez, Jr.,Forward-Guard. While the University of Arizona Wildcats brought their 7-1 “Twin Towers of Power,”– Christian Koloko (Sierra Canyon HS Alum) and Oumar Ballo (Gonzaga Transfer) plus the PAC-12’s “Player of the Year,” Bennedict Mathurin with them.

The Wildcats opened the scoring but Johnny Juzang hit a long baseline jumper to answer. Koloko, U of A’s talented and intimidating 7-1 center, was starting to get adjusted on the inside. Juzang scored again on a “lay-up” (10-4) but the Wildcats were up with (16:15) remaining in the period. Bruin turnovers were not helping their cause in the early going. A Fox Sports TV/Time-out was taken at (15:47) and the tenor of the game appeared to be a “give and take” battle for both teams. Tyger Campbell then scored on a fastbreak with an “And 1”, for a (10-7) scoreboard check. He scored again for a (10-9) score at (13:24). The Wildcats answered back with their own fast-break when Guard, Justin Kier was fouled. He made 1 of 2 free throws, moving the score to (11-9). He followed that up with another score moving it to (13-9). UCLA’s Jules Bernard then answered with a nice 3-pointer from the corner, (13-12), U of A. Another TV Time-out came at (11:38). UCLA in-bounded and Juzang promptly hit a 15 ft. “jumper”, giving the Bruins their first lead at (14-13). U of A answered that with a three-ball and the Bruins came back to hit a shot tying the game at (16-16). The Wildcats then hit a free throw, (17-16) with (10:15) left on the clock.

A Jules Bernard jumper from the right elbow, (18-17), UCLA. An Adama Bal 3-pointer restored the AZ lead at (20-18) with (8:28) showing. Campbell hit a 13 ft baseline jumper (20-20). TV-Time-out #3 came at (7:14). AZ returned to the free throw line and made 1, giving them back the lead at (21-20). Juzang scored on a drive but missed the “And 1”, (22-21), still Bruins. Bernard answered with a short jumper in the key and got the roll, (24-21). AZ then ran into foul trouble with their guards and broke their rhythm at least for the moment. UCLA was fouled and missed a “1 + 1” bonus. Myles Johnson’s shot got blocked on a put-back. Then, Dalen Terry hit a trey, tying the game at (24-24) with (5:00) minutes left. A successful Campbell drive  silenced the raucous Wildcats crowd at (26-24) with (4:10) left. After a shot-clock violation by AZ, the final 1st half TV/Time-out was taken at (4:00). Resuming play with the Bruins ball…Jaquez, Jr. then hit a 6′ jumper in key moving the score to (28-24), Bruins. A shooting foul  was called on UCLA sending Mathurin to the line and he made both, cutting the margin to only two, (28-26), Bruins. Bernard fouled on drive, was awarded 2 free throws. He made one for a (29-26) lead. Next, Koloko was fouled on a “put-back,” (29-28) with (3:00) left. After a U of A turnover, Jaquez, Jr. drew a shooting foul on Koloko, he made both for a (31-28) score, UCLA. Jaquez, Jr. was then fouled on a drive, which resulted in a successful “And 1” play, moving the score to (34-28). Mathurin was fouled and completed his “And 1” with (2:26) left, (34-31) Bruins. Mathurin drew another foul, and made 2 more free throws, (34-33) with (1:55). A loose ball foul was called underneath on U of A, and Kenneth Nwuba went to the free throw line for a pair. He missed the 1st, but made 2nd for a score of (35-33). UCLA called a time-out with (1:08) left. When play resumed, Jaylen Clark scored on rebound for (37-33). That was followed by the Wildcats, Pelle Larsson scoring on a fast-break dunk, (37-35). Juzang closed the half out with a long 3-point “buzzer beater” (40-35), Bruins.

(HALFTIME SCORE): UCLA  40  ARIZONA  35

{2nd Half} The Wildcats started with ball possession. Mathurin, drove to the basket and was fouled. He made both for a (40-37) score. Campbell answered with a trey, (43-37). Mathurin came back with a good short shot in the key, making it (43-39). Then, Jaquez, Jr. drove and scored on an “And 1” for a (46-39) lead at (18:55). Next, a foul was called on UCLA during a grapple for a loose ball. The officials then had to  review an inadvertent, but nonetheless by rule, a Flagrant 1 “Technical Foul” committed by Koloko. The infraction was ruled an elbow to face, causing an automatic penalty and the ball awarded to UCLA. Bernard made both for a (48-39) advantage with (18:29) left. Campbell came back with a good elbow jumper from the left side, (50-39). AZ hit a short baseline shot. Juzang then connected on a “triple” from the right corner (53-41). AZ answered back moving score to (53-43) with (16:00). Dalen Terry buried a 3 point  jump shot for a (53-46) score. A TV/time-out came at (14:28). Resuming play, Mathurin hit for a 3 pointer, (53-49). Jaylen Clark snapped an (8-0) AZ run with a “put-back,” (55-49). Then on a jump ball whistle, the Alternating Possession (AP) arrow favored the Bruins at (13:45). Ballo was fouled hard by Johnson and he made both free throws, (55-51) Bruins. After a Bruin turnover on an in-bound pass, Mathurin then drove for score (55-53). After a Jaquez, Jr. miss, AZ attacked and Koloko was fouled on an “And 1”, and with his made free throw, they took the lead back at (56-55), with (11:55) left. Campbell was fouled on drive and a TV time-out was called at (11:42). Bruins had the ball underneath but the shot was no good. On the rebound, Bernard followed up with a 3-pointer giving the lead back to UCLA at (58-56).

The Wildcats’ Mathurin then hit another 3-ball for the lead again. Koloko scored underneath on a great “lob pass,” (61-58), AZ. A TV/time-out was taken at (9:00). After several missed shots, U of A hit a “lay-up” for a (63-58) lead. Bernard was fouled on a drive and earned 2 free throws. After another Time-out at (7:58) Bernard made both for a (63-60) scoreboard read. Campbell re-entered the game at the (7:19) mark and his “1 + 1” bonus was good, narrowing the led to (65-62). Terry scored on a nice “catch & shoot” for 3, moving the score to (68-62). Jaquez, Jr. was fouled on drive, and made 2 free throws, (68-64), with (6:20) left. After a Bruin turnover in the open court, an emphatic “slam dunk” was thrown down by Terry, (70-64). Another time-out and Mathurin was fouled and made 2 more free throws, (72-64). Jaquez, Jr. made a soft turn-around short jumper, (72-66), but Terry answered back again for a (74-66) score.

Juzang followed with a short “floater”, moving the score to (74-68). Terry came through again for a (76-68) game. Bernard hit his own “floater” in lane for (70), answered by a U of A basket. Jaquez, Jr. then scored quickly for a (78-72) read on the scoreboard. A TV/time-out came at the (2:52) mark. AZ committed a travel turnover and then Jaquez, Jr. hit on a “fade-away” jumper over Koloko cutting the lead to (78-74). The giant center then answered back with a monster dunk, (80-74). Cody Riley, who did not see a lot of playing time due to foul trouble, made a key “put-back” offensive rebound after a Juzang miss, (80-76), U of A. The Bruins called  a time-out with (:55) seconds left. When play resumed, a “player control” foul was called on Mathurin as he drove to the hoop with (:50) seconds left. Koloko then rose to the occasion on defense and blocked a Juzang shot on his dribble drive. UCLA fouled immediately to stop the clock. But Mathurin was fouled again and stepped to the free throw for a pair, but only made 1 with (:36.4) secs. left for an (81-76) advantage..Ballo then blocked Bernard’s long jump shot. Mathurin, fouled once more, made just one, for (82-76). The Bruins turned the ball back over to Wildcats on their next possession and fouled Terry, who made only 1, for (83-76). Riley’s long 3-point attempt from the top left of their basket was blocked by Koloko with only (:03) seconds left. That was the final play of the contest and the Wildcats victory celebration was on.

(FINAL SCORE): Univ. of Arizona  83   UCLA  76

(NCAA Tournament-Next Up): The Bruins,(25-7)/(15-5) are seeded #4 will play the #13 seed, University of Akron “Zips” (24-9) representing the Mid-American Conference, on Thursday, 3/17 –  St. Patrick’s Day, in the NCAA’s East Regional Tournament, being played in Portland, OR. Tip-off is set for @ 6:50 PM. |PDT. The game will be broadcast on TBS and on Radio 570 AM.

[Per the UCLA Men’s Website]:

{PAC-12 Tournament Significant Mentions} Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Jules Bernard secured All-Tournament Team acclaim, having scored in double figures in each of the three games. Jaquez Jr. finished the three-game tournament with averages of (20.0) points, (8.7) rebounds and (2.3) assists per game.

(HOOPING WITH JAIME): Jaime Jaquez Jr., a 6-foot-7 guard/forward, shot (51.2%) in the Bruins’ three games last week and made (16 of 18) free throws. He registered “double-doubles” against Washington St. (23 points, 11 rebounds) and Arizona (18 points, 10 rebounds). Jaquez Jr. has totaled (6) “double-doubles” in (31) games this season.