Call it a fortuitous held ball that resuscitated UCLA after a disastrous closing stretch, in which a seven-point Bruin lead vanished to near heartbreak.
In a 70-68 UCLA victory over Oregon at Matthew Knight Arena on Thursday, it was coach Steve Alford who eerily called the play in which his sophomore guard saved the day. With a tied game at 68 apiece and 37 seconds left on the clock, the Bruins huddled, knowing it was now or never. Surrendering possession without a timeout to think things over would make things difficult. That much Alford made clear.
Story by: Andrew Erickson