clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Hero Ball Can't Save UCLA From Loss to Utah 75-73

It looked like a repeat of the Arizona game. UCLA goes down big in the second half at home to one of the best teams in the conference. Would Hero Ball save the day again for the Bruins? Not this time.

"What do you mean hero ball didn't work again?"
"What do you mean hero ball didn't work again?"
Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

This was a game that mirrored the Bruins season.

The first half was a close, hard-fought half where Utah's biggest lead was only 1 point at two different times and UCLA's biggest lead was four points also at two different points.

The Utes didn't take a lead in this one until there was 7:43 to go in the half when Dakarai Tucker hit a three to give Utah a 19-18 lead. But the Bruins would go on a 11-7 mini-run to jump out to a 29-25 lead with just over three minutes to go.

The Utes would then finish the half on a 6-2 mini-run of their own and the game was tied 31-31 at the break.

The second half was a different story.

For the first two and a half minutes, it stayed close, but, then, Jordan Loveridge hit a three-pointer to give Utah a 39-36 lead which the Runnin' Utes would never relinquish.

Over the next six minutes, Utah would go on a 21-7 run to make the score 57-43.

With seven minutes to go and the score Utah 64, UCLA 50, the Bruins would try to mount a comeback. A 10-3 run was capped by an Aaron Holiday layup that made it 67-60 Utes with four and a half to go. After Loveridge made it a ten-point Utes' lead with a three, the Bruins would score the next eight points to close the gap to just two with two and a half minutes to play.

UCLA would not take another shot for the next minute and forty-five seconds and Loveridge nailed a three-pointer making it a five-point game with thirteen seconds to go.

The Bruins looked unprepared for the long pass from Dakarai Tucker to Kyle Kuzma which resulted in a dunk and made the score 75-70. While Aaron Holiday hit a buzz beater three to make it 75-73, it was too little, too late for UCLA who falls to 14-12 overall and 5-8 in the Pac-12.

Isaac Hamilton had another good game and led all scorers with 25 points while Jordan Loveridge led the Utes with 17 points. Jakob Poeltl managed 15 points after a terrible first half while grabbing 11 rebounds.

UCLA will host Colorado on Saturday at 8pm at Pauley Pavilion.

Go Bruins.