UCLA Basketball: Bruins Get a Scare in Win Over Arizona State

The UCLA Basketball team struggled throughout the game against Arizona State, but was finally able to get the victory, albeit against a five-man Sun Devil squad.

The UCLA Basketball team was about to have their toughest game of the season. Too bad it was the game after Arizona State.

The writing was on the wall. With the Bruins’ contest against the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday, Thursday night’s game was one of those pesky “trap games”, and did it ever feel like it.

With a lot riding on this weekend’s game in Tucson, it was easy for the Bruins to look past ASU, which was evident throughout this game.

Once again, the Bruins looked uninspired to start a game. UCLA blew out ASU in their first meeting back in January, but this game in Tempe was different. Not only were the 9th place (in the Pac-12) Sun Devils hanging with the Bruins, but they did it with only five men.

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Aside from one whole minute that backup Ramon Villa played, Arizona State’s starters played the entire game. An awkward game plan by Head Coach Bobby Hurley, especially against the uptempo Bruins, but it seemed to work against a team that did not exactly wake up for the game until right before halftime.

Aside from TJ Leaf, who finished with 25 points, the rest of the Bruins were still hibernating.

That changed right before the break as UCLA went on a 9-0 run and eventually pulled ahead for a 45-36 victory, but it was quickly erased as ASU had a 13-5 run to start the second half.

Luckily the Bruins collectively put a hurt in the Sun Devils for the next 12 minutes to extend their lead to 18 with five minutes left in the game. With such a huge lead, the Bruins took their foot off the gas and allowed ASU to get back within 9, which may cause concern, but the Sun Devils were running out of gas and the Bruins were holding them at bay and eventually got the 87-75 victory.

It also did not help that in the first half, Lonzo Ball scared the entire Bruin fanbase when he went to the locker room after “tweaking” his right ankle. Luckily he was able to come back and help the Bruins get the win.

Sure this seemed like a lackadaisical effort at times, but UCLA was able to hold off an ASU team that is not very good.

Next: ESPN's Bracketology Has UCLA as a 4-Seed

So a win is a win and now the UCLA Basketball team can turn their attention, finally, to a crucial game which has Pac-12 title implication. This Saturday, it is on. UCLA will take on Arizona at the McKale Center at 5:00 p.m. PT. Go Bruins!