Go Joe Bruin
Fansided

UCLA Basketball: Bruins avoid horrible loss with dominant OT vs Cal

By Mike Regalado

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 23: Jaylen Hands #4, Prince Ali #23, Chris Smith #5 and Kris Wilkes #13 of the UCLA Bruins stand on the court during their game against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the 2018 Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on November 23, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. North Carolina defeated UCLA 94-78. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 23: Jaylen Hands #4, Prince Ali #23, Chris Smith #5 and Kris Wilkes #13 of the UCLA Bruins stand on the court during their game against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the 2018 Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on November 23, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. North Carolina defeated UCLA 94-78. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The UCLA basketball team outlasts the last place California Golden Bears to get the overtime win in Berkeley and snap a three-game losing streak.

This could have been the worst loss of the season, but somehow the UCLA basketball team dug deep and managed to avoid a terrible first half as they come from behind to force overtime and get the win against Cal.

This was not an ideal way of responding to what remains the Bruins’ worst loss of the season. Last Saturday, UCLA allowed Utah to come back from 22 points down and beat the Bruins on a last-second three-point shot on their home court. This aggression should not have stood. But it did.

More from Go Joe Bruin

All week, the mantra with the Bruins has been about looking forward to the next game. Though UCLA might have been looking forward to this game, their style of play was still stuck in the past.

UCLA could not have started this game any worse. The Bruins went 0/11 from the field as Cal jumped out to a 9-0 lead five minutes into the game. As has been the case in past games, a combination of turnovers, a defense with much to be desired and no offense of flow allowed the Bruins to be taken advantage. And then slowly but surely, UCLA worked their way back into the game.

By half time, Cal still had a respectable lead, but the vibe was different. UCLA was making their move. Going into the break, Cal had the 34-35 lead.

After the break, the Bruins once again made a move on Cal, finally catching them nine minutes into the half. The Bruins then went on a 13-8 run that was fueled by three-pointers from David Singleton and Kris Wilkes. Singleton was a key element in that run as he hit three consecutive shots from downtown and finished the game with 12 points

Wilkes, who has been silent from outside in the last several games, went 5/8 from three-point land. Despite the team struggles, he was able to finish with a double-double that consisted of 27 points and 10 rebounds.

Game Stats

  • UCLA: FG – 23/59 (39.0%) | 3FG – 10/29 (34.5%) | Rebs – 50 | Ast – 14 | Turnovers – 19
  • Kris Wilkes – 27 pts, 10 rebs | David Singleton – 12 pts (4/7 3FG) | Jaylen Hands 2 pts
  • Cal: FG – 23/67 (28.6%) | 3FG – 6/21 (28.6%) | Rebs – 30 | Ast – 13 | Turnovers – 13
  • Darius McNeill – 23 pts, 7 stls | Justice Sueing – 18 pts, 9 rebs

The Bruins and Bears traded blows the remainder of the regulation which resulted in a 64-64 tie and pushed the game into extra time

Overtime was just a sloppy is regulation. By the midway point, there had only been one field goal and one free-throw made, both of which were made by the Bruins. That seemed to get the momentum going as UCLA then went on an 8-3 run to secure the win in overtime.

It was not pretty but it’s a win. UCLA is now at .500 in conference play with a 6-6 record and go above .500 overall, 13–12.

Next. UCLA Basketball: The 25 Greatest Bruins of all time. dark

This is a win, but considering the opposition, UCLA should have handled the Golden Bears as they did in Pauley Pavilion last month. Still, it is something to build on as the Bruins enter a tough stretch to finish the season. That continues on Saturday at Stanford where the Bruins might not be a favorite to win in that game, but in this conference, stranger things have happened.