Kyle Anderson scored 21 points and 15 rebounds, Jordan Adams drilled the 3-pointer that sent Arizona into a ball of confusion and UCLA upset No. 4 Arizona 75-71 in a action-packed Pac-12 title game.
The two best teams in the conference did not disappoint the fans in attendance. The game was loaded in big shots from the beginning.
Both teams were playing their hardest and multiple hustle plays would back up the claim.
Offense dominated the first half. UCLA scored 43 points, and the Wildcats posted 40. The second half was a different story. Both teams held their opponent to 30 points.
The Wildcats’ free throw shooting finally came back to haunt them down the stretch. They shot an abysmal 6-16. (37.5%) Freshman standout Aaron Gordon was excellent tonight except for an ill-advised 3-pointer in the closing seconds and his 25 percent free throw percentage.
Nick Johnson was the man of the hour, but his 22-point effort was not enough to match the skills of the high-octane offense Steve Alford has implemented at UCLA.
David Wear and Norman Powell closed the game out by connecting on four free throws in the closing seconds.
In Steve Alford’s firs year, he brought the Bruins their first Pac-12 tournament title since 2008.
The loss hurts Arizona, but a season filled with defensive dominance, it is fair to assume that they will still be selected as a No. 1 seed this Sunday.
