UCLA Basketball: The 10 best games of the Steve Alford era

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LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 09: Aaron Holiday #3 of the UCLA Bruins is guarded by Parker Jackson-Cartwright #0 of the Arizona Wildcats during a semifinal game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Wildcats won 78-67 in overtime. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

4. February 8, 2018 at #13 Arizona 82-74

Steve Alford was in a bit of a pickle. His UCLA Bruins were down three guys because of a shoplifting incident in China, he had his team under performing and to make maters worse, they were going through a rough stretch during the Pac-12 schedule right before this game came up.

And yet some how they went down to Tucson, a place where they have not exactly been successful, and come out guns blazing.

In recent seasons, UCLA and Arizona, which owns the biggest rivalry in the Pac-12, have only played once instead of twice in the regular season. It is quite a travesty, but that is beside the point. With only one contest between them two this season, all eyes were on this game in Tucson.

This team, led by Aaron Holiday and Thomas Welsh, was fluctuating up and down during the season, mostly because those two were the only ones contributing, or at least contributed consistently. During this game at the McKale Center, the two veterans had help from their entire crew as every starter scored in double digits and beat the unbeatable Wildcats.

By the way, there were no late timeouts this time. Apparently Alford and Miller are passed that.