The UCLA men’s basketball team lost 84-73 to Notre Dame at the Joyce Center in South Bend, Ind., on Saturday afternoon.
Sophomore guard Malcolm Lee scored a career-high 29 points for the Bruins (3-7), but his contributions were not enough to hold off the Fighting Irish, who had their five starters score in double figures. All-American forward Luke Harangody led Notre Dame (10-2) with a team-high 23.
UCLA redshirt senior guard Michael Roll and freshman forward Reeves Nelson added 19 and 11, respectively.
The Bruins trailed by as little as six with a minute remaining following a basket by Lee, but Harangody promptly sped down the court and received a pass for an uncontested dunk to stretch Notre Dame’s lead back to eight.
Thanks in large part to Lee’s hot hand, UCLA hung tough for much of the second half and even held a lead late in the first half.
Lee shot 11-for-17 from the field in what must be considered a breakout of sorts for the 19-year-old from Moreno Valley. He was 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. Lee was averaging 13.6 points per game heading into Saturday.
The Bruins, who had struggled early in games, held a 26-20 lead in the first half. But guard Tory Jackson nailed a long-range 3-pointer to cap a 7-0 run and give the Fighting Irish a 27-26 advantage.
Roll had an answer, hitting a 3-pointer of his own to hand UCLA a lead before Harangody took over, and the Bruins went into halftime trailing 40-36.
After Nelson pulled the Bruins to within 10 with just under six minutes left, Jackson hit another 3-pointer to put Notre Dame on top by 13 ““ the largest of the game for either team.
Compiled by Blair Angulo, Bruins Sports senior staff.