T-4: UCLA Bruins (16-13, 9-7 Pac-12) LW: 9
After a rough start to the season and within Pac-12 play, it seems that UCLA may have found its stride at the most important time.
As winners of four of their last five games, the Bruins find themselves sitting at 16-13 on the year and 9-7 in Pac-12 play.
In their most recent game, they were able to edge out rival USC at home by a score of 93-88 in overtime.
Throughout the season, it has become clear that when sophomore guard Jaylen Hands plays well, good things happen for this team. He proved that again Thursday.
Against the Trojans, Hands was all over the place, finishing with a double-double as he scored a team-high in both points and assists with 21 and 10, respectively.
Another big factor to the Bruins’ success was the production they received off the bench, notably from freshman guard Jules Bernard. He was second on the team in scoring, as he shot at a 6-of-9 clip and collected six rebounds as well.
Lastly, the Bruins crashed the glass hard all night as they outrebounded the Trojans 55-44. A big reason for that was Moses Brown, who pulled down 14 boards to go with his 10 points in a double-double effort.
The Bruins will get the chance to keep their hot streak alive this week as they conclude the regular season against the Mountain schools. They take on Colorado on Thursday and Utah on Saturday.
– WIlkinson