When UCLA stepped onto the McKale Center floor for the second half against Arizona on Saturday, the odds were against them leaving Tucson with a win. The Bruins entered Saturday 1-10 this season in games they've trailed at the half.
With nine seconds left in the game and UCLA down by two,
Jerime Anderson had a chance to tie or win the game for the Bruins. He
pulled up just inside the 3-point line on the right wing but his
jumper at the buzzer was long. The odds won, and so did Arizona, 65-63.
"We were looking for Jerime," UCLA coach Ben Howland said about the game's last play. "It had worked earlier. We were going to fake the handoff and it just wasn't there."
Despite the miss, Anderson tied his career high with 20 points.
The Bruins led by as many as six points but once again let a road game slip away.
"I just think we've been searching the whole year for consistency," Anderson said. "It's tough to try to win on the road. You don't get calls that you want, and I think it throws people off of their game and affects how they play. It's something that we've been struggling with all season."
The Bruins (16-13, 9-7 Pac-12), meanwhile, couldn't keep the Wildcats (21-9, 12-5 Pac-12) off of the free-throw line — Kyle Fogg especially. Fogg was 10 for 13 from the line. As a team, Arizona was 23 for 32 — 16 of the Wildcats' 38 points in the second half came from the free throw line. UCLA made 11 of 18 free throws.
Fogg, who has traditionally been a thorn in the side of the Bruins, came alive in the second half. He scored eight straight points at one point, including the first four of a 10-2 run for the Wildcats that began at the 4:43 mark of the second half. The run put Arizona up 60-55, a lead they would never relinquish.
On Senior Day, Fogg scored 16 points in the second half, but missed two of four free throws in the game's final 12 seconds to allow UCLA their one last chance. The senior from Brea Olinda finished with 20 points and nine rebounds.
"I wanted to give the guys energy," Fogg said. "We stepped it up and had great screens. We made good baskets and fed off the energy. We picked it up a notch."
Said Anderson, "Like I've said before, when he [Fogg] goes, they go. He really gained momentum, especially in the second half. He started making shots and free throws, and you could tell the energy was increasing in the team. He's a good player; always has been. He's one of my close friends, and I wish him success in everything."
The loss all but eliminates the Bruins from a chance to earn a top-four seed in the conference and a first-round bye in next month's Pac-12 Conference Tournament at Staples Center.
Foul trouble plagued the Bruins on Saturday, none more than center Joshua Smith. The Bruins' sophomore played despite tweaking his back during Friday's practice. Smith, who didn't play in the first meeting between the two teams this season, was forced to ride the bench for the majority of the game. He played just 14 minutes, scoring nine points and five rebounds.
The Wear twins contributed 21 points and 16 rebounds, while Lazeric Jones struggled from the field. He scored just two points on one-of-12 shooting. It's the third time in the last four games that Jones, the team's leading scorer, has failed to reach double figures.
UCLA will conclude the regular season next week at the Sports Arena with the Washington schools, beginning on Thursday against Washington State.
The Bruins are now 1-11 this season when trailing at halftime. The Wildcats close out February as winners of seven of their eight games this month.
