UCLA Comes Back to Beat ASU 80-75

Let's see, how can I put this, straight to the point. ASU got tired in the second half, their threes weren't falling, and UCLA took advantage and came back to beat ASU in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament.

ASU definitely wasn't tired to start this game - they came out ready to play, and quickly realized what we've been screaming about all season - just push the ball inside, and let Jordan Bachynski (also known by several other incarnations in the game thread) do his thing. And he did to the tune of 22 points on 8 of 16 shooting with 6 boards and 3 blocks, along with being declared the new Pac-12 All Time Blocks leader.

UCLA couldn't buy a bucket in the first half, as Shabazz Muhammad, Kyle Anderson and Jordan Adams were very quiet. Larry Drew II, even with two fouls, was UCLA's best player in the first half. Despair set in, and we all started wondering how UCLA would fare out in Auburn Hills.

In the second half, UCLA came out blazing. Anderson scored five straight to push the deficit to only three points... and the we let ASU go on a 12-0 run. Yet ASU couldn't completely stomp out the fight in the Bruins, and they started to claw back, keeping the deficit at a manageable eight points, and inching closer and closer as the end of the game neared.

Travis Wear saved UCLA, with two huge buckets to give UCLA the lead and then to extend the lead to three points (his toes were on the line, as we all screamed at him to move those toes back three inches) but he still made those baskets. Shabazz started hitting the glass harder in the second half to get anything he could. Larry Drew II kept up the intensity and led the Bruins with 20 points and 4 assists.

There were some shenanigans at the end of the game, when Shabazz was fouled and ASU may or may not have kicked him - doesn't matter as Bazz was given his fifth foul on the technical but David Wear came in to shoot Bazz's free throws and put the game away.

The Bruins take on the winner of the Arizona/Colorado matchup next. While we beat both teams during the season if we're going to play matador defense and the freshmen don't step it up until the last ten minutes of the second half, we could be in even more trouble than we were in today against ASU.

Have at it, everyone. I just hope we don't wear our PJ's to play again tomorrow, and play sleepy again in the first half.