UCLA Grinds Out 72-67 Victory Over Washington State
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Norman Powell scored a career-high 28 points, hitting a key 3-pointer with 1:34 to go, and UCLA grinded out a 72-67 victory over Washington State on Sunday night that gave the Bruins possession of fourth place in the Pac-12.
Tony Parker had 15 points and 10 rebounds off the bench, having lost his starting spot after he showed up late to the morning shootaround. Bryce Alford added 13 points and Kevon Looney 12.
The Bruins (18-12, 10-7 Pac-12) moved a half-game ahead of Stanford, which lost earlier Sunday. They want to win their last regular-season game against Southern California to keep one of the top four seeds in the conference tournament and earn a first-round bye. UCLA improved to 15-1 at home, including 8-0 in league games.
Josh Hawkinson had 21 points and 14 rebounds and DaVonte Lacy added 19 points for the Cougars (12-16, 6-10). They have lost nine of their last 12 and dropped to 3-10 on the road.
The Cougars trailed 62-59 after Lacy hit a pair of free throws. Powell, who got called for an offensive foul on UCLA's previous possession, hit a 3-pointer that pushed its lead to 65-59. The Bruins' lone senior scored seven of their final 10 points to close out the win.
Hawkinson's two free throws again got the Cougars within three with 39 seconds left, but the Bruins went 6 of 10 from the line in closing seconds to hold them off. Lacy's 3-pointer hit the rim with 3 seconds to go and the Cougars trailing by four.
UCLA trailed by six early in the second half. Parker entered the game and scored six in a row, highlighted by a one-handed jam that gave the Bruins their first lead since early in the first half. They trailed once more before taking control for good.
If the Bruins can beat their crosstown rival on Wednesday, they'll end the regular season on a three-game winning streak. That could help bolster their hopes of making the NCAA tournament, which are slim because they lack a signature nonconference win, having lost to every ranked team they played this season.
The Cougars led most of the first half, getting a 3-pointer from Lacy and two by Brett Boese, for their largest lead of seven. The Bruins went on a 9-4 run that closed their deficit to 34-32 at halftime.
------
TIP-INS
Washington State: DaVonte Lacy's three 3-pointers gave him 243 in his career, passing Golden State star Klay Thompson (242) for the school record. ... The Cougars, who haven't won at Pauley Pavilion in six years, fell to 2-55 all-time on the road against the Bruins.
UCLA: C Thomas Welsh made his third start of the season. ... Members of the 1975 national championship team -- coach John Wooden's record 10th and last title -- were honored at halftime, including Marques Johnson and David Meyers.
UP NEXT
Washington State: Hosts Utah on Thursday.
UCLA: Hosts Southern California on Wednesday in the regular-season finale.
(© Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
