NCAA event: UCLA fends off Central Florida | College News
PHILADELPHIA — After lacking its first seven pictures, UCLA finally began to click on in its NCAA event opener against Central Florida on Friday night time. The Bruins shook off their early jitters by hitting their next eight pictures to shortly construct a 13-point lead halfway through the half.
From there, the seventh-seeded Bruins, taking part in without main scorer Tyler Bilodeau, held off No. 10 Central Florida’s second half comeback bid in a 75-71 win.
UCLA will play the winner of No. 2 Connecticut vs. No. 15 Furman on Sunday in the second spherical.
With Bilodeau out because of a sprained knee he sustained in the Big Ten event, 6-foot-8 guard Eric Dailey Jr. led the way in which with 20 factors, 5 rebounds and two blocks. Xavier Booker, beginning in place of Bilodeau, added 15 factors and eight rebounds. Trent Perry also scored 15 factors and Donovan Dent scored 10. Jordan Burks and Riley Kugel topped the Knights with 22 and 13 factors, respectively.
After a late UCF flurry cut a 14-point Bruins’ lead to 35-27 at the half, UCLA went back to work in the second half, with a Booker jumper serving to UCLA take a 46-32 lead. But Central Florida wasn’t giving up.
The Knights responded with an 11-0 run, knocking down three from past the arc, making it a one possession sport, 46-43.
That was as close as UCF received until the ultimate seconds. A 3-pointer by Burks with 10 seconds left made it a three-point rating again. Perry then made two free throws before Themus Fulks shortly scored on a driving layup. Skyy Clark, who misplaced half of a tooth earlier in the second half while battling for a free ball, then made one of two free throws in the ultimate seconds to secure the win.
UCLA’s Trent Perry, left, shoots over Central Florida’s Themus Fulks during the first half Friday.
(Matt Slocum / Associated Press)
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