UCLA Basketball: Bruins win on last second layup by Aaron Holiday

The UCLA Basketball team came away with a split at the Hall of Fame Classic as junior Aaron Holiday gave Bruins the win with 0.8 seconds left in the third place game over Wisconsin.

The UCLA Basketball team was given a dose of reality on Monday when they were outrun but a quick and disciplined Creighton team, who hit the century mark in a 100-89 win. It was the first loss of the season for the Bruins and one that had them looking for answers.

RELATED: Latest AP Poll reflects sluggish start for UCLA

The Bruins had to be quick in assessing their strategy as the next day, they played Wisconsin in the 3rd place game of the Hall of Fame Classic. Against Creighton, the Bruins had a sprint. Against the Badgers, it was more of a marathon. One that was topped off by a huge basket in the final moments by junior Aaron Holiday.

Wisconsin plays a slower, more methodical game, one that dictated the pace of this contest on Tuesday.

More from Go Joe Bruin

• UCLA Football: It’s time for the nation to meet Dante Moore
• UCLA Football: Where are they ranked heading into week 4
• UCLA Football: Position battle breakdown for Utah showdown
• UCLA vs. Utah: Location, time, prediction, and more
• UCLA Football: Highlights from Chip Kelly’s appearance on the Jim Rome Show

To say the Bruins would have a tough time against Wisconsin would be an understatement. In the first half, the Badgers limited the usual Bruins scorers to only 31 points in the first half. This is not an indictment on Gyorgy Goloman, but when he is UCLA’s leading scorer (11 points) through one half, then the team has issues.

The second half was a different story. Though Goloman and Kris Wilkes both fouled out, once again revealing the lack of depth the Bruins have, UCLA carried on in the slugfest that was the second half.

UCLA was tested on every possession, but had excellent production from Prince Ali and Jaylen Hands who had solid performances after the break and finished with 10 points each.

The player of the game was Aaron Holiday who took the Bruins on his back and willed them to victory. The most willing moment came in the final UCLA possession of the game as Holiday made a crucial layup with 0.8 seconds left to put the Bruins up by two points. Wisconsin could not score with less than a second, giving the Bruins the win.

Next: The UCLA Basketball All-Time Team

Despite how close the game was, this was an excellent win for the Bruins, one they can hang their hat on, specifically when it comes to finishing games. The Bruins never gave up, even with two players fouling out. Behind the push from Holiday, UCLA came out victorious. Something we hope to see more of the rest of the season.