UCLA Loses To Washington At Home 86-84

Washington started this game where the last game left off...with the Huskies in control. And they controlled the game for the entire first half as UCLA never lead in the first half and they only tie besides 0-0 was 2-2.

That doesn't mean it was never close in the first half. It was for the first six minutes of the game. In fact, Isaac Hamilton's three-pointer with 13:49 made the score 8-7 UW.

But, UCLA's shooting was cold. That was the only three-pointer the Bruins would make in the first half out of eight attempts while the Huskies made six out of ten three-point attempts.

That wasn't the only place where the Huskies shot well. They made 75% of their free throw attempts and 51% from the field. The Bruins only shot 55.6% from the line and 39.3% from the field.

The defense wasn't much better.

Over the next four minutes, UW went on a 14-2 run to make the score 22-9 with 9:45 left in the half. Over the rest of the half, the Huskies would increase their lead to 19 points with about a minute and a half to go and the Bruins would cut it to an 18-point lead at the break.

The second half started much better for UCLA. They went on an 8-2 run to begin the half including a three-pointer by Bryce Alford and two layups and a free throw from Tony Parker.

But Washington would maintain a double-digit lead until Aaron Holiday hit two free throws with a little more than nine minutes to go and it was Washington 68, UCLA 60. But David Crisp would hit a three for UW that would push the lead back to 11.

A pair of free throws by Jonah Bolden and one for Washington's Noah Dickerson made it a ten-point game with seven minutes left.

UCLA then went on a 20-7 run which included Bryce scoring 15 of the 20 Bruin points scored during the run. It was Alford's three-pointer with just over two minutes to go which gave UCLA an 82-79 lead which was the Bruins' first and only lead of the game.

Unfortunately, college basketball games consist of two twenty-minute halves, not eighteen-minute halves.

In the final two minutes, the Huskies scored seven points to UCLA's two. Donaven Dorsey hit a three to tie it at 82. After Alford missed a jumper, Jonah Bolden fouled Andrew Andrews who got the lead back for the Huskies.

Bryce hit a jumper to tie it back up at 84 with less than 30 seconds to go, but Washington had the ball and decided to play for the last shot. Tony Parker ended up fouling Andrews on that shot sending him to line with 3 seconds left. Andrews hit both free throws to give UW an 86-84 lead.

Isaac Hamilton was unable to make a desperation jumper as time expired and Washington won the game.

Bryce Alford led all scorers with 28 points including 22 in the second half. Hamilton scored 17 and Parker put up 16 for UCLA in defeat while Noah Dickerson lead Washington with 15 points.

Despite losing UCLA shot much better in the second half. They were 15 of 17 (88%) from the line, 4 of 8 (50%) on three-pointers, and 16 of 34 (47%) from the field after the break.

But, whether you feel that this game was lost due to the poor play in the first half or the failure to put the Huskies away in the final two, it really doesn't matter. This one goes in the right hand column.

Go Bruins.