UCLA Bruins Take Down the Washington State Cougars, 72-67

Tonight was an exciting night in Pauley Pavilion since it was the second to last home game of the season. The stands were filled with a huge crowd to watch the UCLA Bruins take down the Washington State Cougars!

The game started off with a surprise as Thomas Welsh started instead of Tony Parker. Parker missed a team shoot-around which is why Welsh started in lieu of Parker. During the first half the ball flowed well for the Bruins. It looked as though the guys were all in sync, making an effort to not only communicate with one another, but also play off of each other. Although they started off well, it wasn’t too long before they began to fall behind.

Kevon Looney, who has been in the spotlight the past few weeks, managed to collect 2 personal fouls and miss his first two free throws within the first ten minutes of the game. Not a very promising turn of events for Looney or the Bruins. Throughout the first half, UCLA trailed the Cougars, but that did not stop the passion of senior Norman Powell, who continued to try and pull through for the Bruins.

Mar 1, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Washington State Cougars guard DaVonte Lacy (25) and UCLA Bruins forward Tony Parker (23) go for a loose ball in the first half of the game at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

By the end of the first half, the Bruins were down by 32-34.

At the beginning of the second half Bruin fans expected more from our guys. Although Norman Powell was penalized for two charging fouls, it was good to see the fierce attitude behind his plays. Although the Bruins trailed at the beginning of the second, Powell came through with a slam dunk, allowing the Bruins to take back the lead with about 9 minutes left in the game.

"OH MY! GET UP! NORMAN POWELL!!! HUGE throw-down for @UCLAMBB! #PAC12 http://t.co/5LDmXhLsNY— FOX Sports 1 (@FOXSports1) March 2, 2015"

While the Cougars attempted to comeback during the second half, they were unable to defeat the Bruins. What was most unfortunate about the game, however, was that it seemed like our guys were a bit tired. They would attempt to shoot, but the ball was constantly hitting the rim and avoiding the basket. Senior Norman Powell really helped the Bruins take this win tonight by posting a career-high 28 points on his own, making it clear that he is finishing off his time at UCLA as strong as ever.

If the guys can take another win on Wednesday night against USC, the next time we see them play will be in Las Vegas.