LEXINGTON, Ky. — UCLA was attempting to keep up a double-digit lead early within the second half when it suffered what seemed like a devastating loss.
Sophomore heart Aday Mara, who had been dominating Utah State on each ends of the courtroom, rolled his left ankle and limped off the courtroom, sitting on the top of the bench whereas coach Tyler Lesher tended to his damage.
What did the Bruins do for the following jiffy with their largest difference-maker sidelined of their NCAA event opener?
They rolled up an excellent greater cushion.
Skyy Clark buried one three-pointer and Kobe Johnson adopted a three-pointer from one nook with one from the opposite, kissing his fingers and elevating them to the roaring crowd inside Rupp Area.
There have been much more encouraging developments to return for the Bruins. Mara put a help wrap on his ankle and returned earlier than seventh-seeded UCLA closed out the Tenth-seeded Aggies with relative ease, their 72-47 victory in a Midwest Area first-round recreation Thursday evening not drawing any uncomfortable parallels to a bunch of late-game letdowns from earlier within the season.
The Bruins (23-10) will play second-seeded Tennessee within the second spherical on Sunday after getting some wonderful guard to play to go together with Mara’s 10 factors, six rebounds, 5 blocks and two assists in solely 18 minutes.
Clark made 4 of seven three-pointers on the best way to 14 factors and Andrews added some lockdown protection on Utah State’s Ian Martinez (two factors on one-for-11 capturing) to go along with his eight factors and eight assists in opposition to just one turnover. Ahead Eric Dailey Jr. completed with 12 of his 14 factors within the second half.
Guard Mason Falslev tallied 17 factors and 10 rebounds for the Aggies (26-8), who shot 30% to the Bruins’ 48.1%
UCLA arrived right here needing a palette cleanser from its blowout loss within the Huge Ten event in opposition to Wisconsin, which Bruins coach Mick Cronin known as the Boston Celtics due to the Badgers’ comparable potential to make gobs of three-pointers.
Utah State guard Mason Falslev, left, and UCLA guard Kobe Johnson battle for a free ball throughout the second half Thursday.
(Brynn Anderson / Related Press)
Taking part in Utah State represented a do-over of kinds given the guard-heavy Aggies’ love of long-range photographs. The Bruins did a significantly better job of sticking with their man Thursday, holding Utah State to 2 of 17 from past the arc and 4 of 31 (12.9%) for the sport.
Utah didn’t conceal its recreation plan, coach Jerrod Calhoun and his gamers saying they wished to get out in transition and play quick.
How would they counteract Mara with out their very own 7-footer? Extra velocity.
“Luckily, he’s not too heavy so we can fight that physically to some extent,” Utah State guard Ian Martinez mentioned, “but mostly with speed would be ideal to beat him.”
Calhoun virtually gave the impression of he was getting ready a concession speech within the occasion UCLA deployed a heavy dose of Mara, who had helped the Bruins win all 9 video games this season by which he performed not less than quarter-hour.
“One of the most talented young players in college basketball,” Calhoun mentioned. “You can see when he gets going in a game and he gets that swagger and that confidence, a lot of times it’s easy baskets. He’s one of the best lob threats we have in college basketball.
“Mick does a tremendous job of putting him in Spain actions, high pick and rolls. So your ball screen defense against him has to be really good. You got to do a tremendous job of playing physical. If he catches the ball in the block, you have no shot.”
Mara transformed a few these catches into factors whereas serving to UCLA take a 39-27 halftime lead. He took one go and spun round Aubin Gateretse for a dunk and took one other for a soar hook.
His greatest stretch may need come when Johnson fed him for dunks on back-to-back possessions, the second help main Johnson to make a binoculars gesture along with his fingers. The Bruins had rolled off 12 consecutive factors to take a 14-point lead and Utah State known as timeout.
Mara’s line by the sport’s midpoint was consultant of his across-the-board worth to his staff. He had eight factors on four-for-five capturing to go together with three blocks, 4 rebounds and the sport’s greatest two assists thrown from the excessive publish — a bounce go to Clark for a dunk on a give and go in addition to a go to Lazar Stefanovic for a baseline jumper.
UCLA’s halftime lead may need been insurmountable had the Bruins not given up 10 offensive rebounds resulting in 14 factors for Utah State — greater than half the Aggies’ whole.
The Bruins’ benefit would quickly get there.
