LAS VEGAS — A trio of 3-pointers in less than 90 seconds by sophomore guard Bryce Alford and freshmen forwards Kevon Looney and G.G. Goloman gave UCLA an early lead against USC in Thursday’s Pac-12 tournament second-round game.
Seven 3-pointers from sophomore guard Isaac Hamilton gave the Bruins the win.
After gaining a 24-13 advantage thanks to the 90-second spurt, No. 4 seed UCLA cruised to a 96-70 victory over the No. 12 seed Trojans on the back of a career-high 36 points from Hamilton.
Hamilton had his most aggressive and most productive game of the season, heading into halftime with 18 points, half of which came from beyond the arc. He didn’t show any mercy after halftime, either; just 90 seconds into the second half, Hamilton had already buried two more 3-pointers.
“It just happens, you know, when you hit a couple shots,” Hamilton said. “I had two threes in a row and you just start feeling it, and you gotta laugh at that point.”
Hamilton’s 36 points on 13-17 shooting far surpassed UCLA’s previous individual high scoring this season of 28 points, scored by Alford and Powell. It was also the most points for a UCLA player since Feb. 10, 2005 when Dijon Thompson scored 39 against Arizona State.
After struggling with his confidence earlier in the season – particularly during a cold stretch in which he scored just five points on 2-24 shooting over a three-game span – Hamilton said his confidence was at a high point Thursday.
“You could just tell … he’s playing with that swagger,” said junior forward/center Tony Parker.
As Hamilton’s point total grew, so too did UCLA’s lead. The Bruins built an advantage as large as 29 points and Hamilton’s flurry of buckets never let the Trojans get close.
After charging down the court and throwing down a rare but authoritative dunk – his 31st point – Hamilton couldn’t help but grin as his teammates embraced him during the ensuing timeout. The following possession, Hamilton continued to put on a show, converting a layup through contact, then executing a somersault after falling to the floor.
That feeling – the out-of-his-mind hot streak he was enveloped in – was one Hamilton hadn’t felt to the same extent since high school.
“You feel free. You feel like every shot’s going in,” Hamilton said. “Your confidence is at a high, you just want to play and keep playing and have fun.”
For as much joy as Hamilton got out of his performance, he was playing with a heavy heart: Hamilton’s grandmother, Lucine, died Sunday after a battle with bone cancer.
Playing in his first game since her passing, Hamilton used his grandmother’s memory as motivation.
“I was thinking about her as soon as I stepped on the court,” Hamilton said. “I hope I made her proud with my performance.”
With one of the best offensive performances by a Bruin in a decade, Hamilton did all he could to accomplish that goal.
“There’s nobody that we would rather have this night tonight than Isaac,” Alford said. “Having the week that he had, for him to come in here and have probably the best game of his career, that’s something special.”
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Despite the big win, the Bruins did have one significant loss. Looney suffered a facial injury in the first half and missed the final 30 minutes of the game. He will undergo further evaluation and left the arena early to get a CT scan, but after the game, his status for Friday’s critical semifinal matchup against No. 1 seed Arizona was uncertain.
Against Arizona, UCLA will have one more chance to prove its worth to the NCAA tournament selection committee and work its way off the tournament bubble. Should Looney be unavailable, that task would be tougher, but the Bruins maintain confidence in themselves.
“We’re on that bubble and if we were to beat Arizona tomorrow, that’s probably the win that gets us in,” Alford said. “And if we beat Arizona, then we’ll probably have the confidence to come in here and get an automatic bid, so we know how big tomorrow is and we’re gonna be ready.”