After a tight game Sunday afternoon in Pauley Pavilion, UCLA takes down Ohio State 69-61. The first half was a struggle for them as they couldn’t get shots in and allowed Ohio State to take the lead a few times. But after halftime, they came back stronger as shot after shot was going in.
The first half started off slow but halfway through, UCLA managed to find their momentum. After UCLA won the tip off, Skyy Clark attempted to get the first shot of the game but unfortunately missed his three pointer. Eric Dailey Jr. gets the first shot of the game and then follows with a free throw shot, allowing UCLA to be up by three points.
With only 12 minutes left in the first half, both teams still hadn’t scored in the last four minutes. Ohio State finally scores a three pointer halfway through the first half, allowing them to take the lead for the first time. UCLA responds by scoring a three pointer to take the lead again. Both teams continued to exchange points but eventually Dailey Jr. managed to score two three-pointers back to back, leaving Bruin fans ecstatic.
Clark returned to the first half with four minutes left after being taken out earlier due to a supposed injury. He also seemed to be having an off night as he hadn’t scored yet. The first half ended at 28-24 with UCLA leading.
Ohio State started off the second half with a shot followed by a free throw from Ohio State’s Austin Parks. After the free throw, UCLA was only leading by one point and needed to find their momentum to get back. Dailey Jr. seemed to be having a great night as he made almost every shot that went towards the basket.
Aday Mara was sent to the free throw line and scored both of his free throws, going 3-5 on free throws. After going scoreless the entire first half, Clark scored a three pointer at the buzzer that had Pauley Pavilion erupting in celebration as they seemed to be waiting for that shot from Clark.
With four minutes left in the final half of the game, the Bruins had not scored in the last three minutes. Finally, Mara scores for the Bruins, ending their scoring drought. With 40 seconds left in the game, Clark is able to get another three pointer and sends fans going crazy. Just seconds later, Clark is then awarded two free throws to which he makes both. After scoring zero in the first half, Clark was definitely able to bounce back as he scored 13 points in the second half. The game ended at 69-61 with Dailey Jr. leading the Bruins with an impressive 20 points.
The Bruins are set to face No. 13 Purdue and Northwestern on the road before finishing their regular season at home against their cross-town rivals, USC.
UCLA #15 Aday Mara hangs from the rim after a powerful shot. Photo courtesy of Jan Kim Lim/UCLA Athletics
Lori Walton, wife of NBA Hall of Famer Bill Walton, stands with Joe and Josie Bruin. She was present as her family honored Bill Walton's legacy. Photo courtesy of Jan Kim Lim/UCLA Athletics
UCLA’s Eric Dailey Jr. rises for a jump shot against Ohio State’s defense. Photo courtesy of Jan Kim Lim/UCLA Athletics
UCLA's #24 William Kyle III drives past Ohio State’s Austin Parks as he attempts to press. Photo courtesy of Jan Kim Lim/UCLA Athletics
