Instinct will point to Saturday night as evidence why UCLA won’t win a national championship.
Calmer heads will offer the escape against Northwestern as a reason the Bruins will. Ignore the narrow margin of victory. Mick Cronin’s team is on the way.
The Bruins were unable to score in the second half. They were concerned about Wildcats 7-foot center Matthew Nicholson. There were stretches where they couldn’t stop guard Chase Audige.
Somehow, they never gave up their leadership. Somehow, they won.
Their 68-63 victory over Northwestern stemmed more from their determination than their shooting ability, more from their comfort doing whatever it took to win than their dominance in any particular statistical category.
“You have to be able to play situational winning basketball,” Cronin said, “because situations change.”
The tables turned for Kansas earlier in the day as well. The tables turned for Purdue the day before. Kansas and Purdue did not survive. UCLA did.
The Bruins are now one of three teams in the country to have reached the Sweet 16 in each of the last three years, the others being Arkansas and Houston. Gonzaga may be fourth, beating Texas Christian on Sunday.
This is not an accident.
In their first two games of this NCAA tournament, the Bruins erased the idea that the loss of their best defensive player would eventually catch up with them.
The Bruins have proven to be just as fierce without Jaylen Clark as they were with him. They’ve contested every shot, they’ve thrown at every loose ball.
They may have lost the player who best embodied their defensive philosophy, but they still have their spiritual leader on the sidelines. They still have Cronin. Players have adopted Cronin’s behavior. They play with an intensity that borders on anger. They don’t smile.
UCLA’s David Singleton celebrates after hitting a three-pointer against Northwestern in the second half on Saturday.
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
The mentality produced a 35-25 halftime lead. The Bruins committed just one less turnover than the Wildcats, but the difference was in what they did with their opponents’ mistakes. Through the first 20 minutes, the Bruins held a 13-0 lead in fast-break points and an 11-3 lead in points scored on turnovers.
Boo Buie, who entered the game as the Wildcats’ leading scorer, had just five points at halftime. Audige, the second leading scorer, had none.
UCLA’s focus on the perimeter created space for Nicholson, who finished the game with 17 points.
Northwestern also held a notable cup lead, the Wildcats finishing the game with 34 rebounds to the Bruins’ 28. The Wildcats attempted 59 field goals, 15 more than the Bruins.
“If we bounce the ball, we control the whole game,” Cronin said.
Instead, the Bruins found themselves tied at 45-45 with 11:26 remaining.
Jaime Jáquez Jr. finished with 24 points, 14 of which were scored in the first half. Amari Bailey scored 14 points.
They help make up for a slow offensive night by Tyger Campbell, who missed all seven of his field goal attempts. But Campbell contributed what he could, making all 12 of his free throws.
Forward Adem Bona was limited in his return from a shoulder injury. But like Campbell, he did what he could. With the Bruins holding a 59-56 lead and with 2:23 remaining in the game, Bona missed a pair of free throws. However, on the Wildcats’ next possession, Bona blocked a layup from Audige. David Singleton made a three, and the Bruins’ lead suddenly went back to six.
Cronin also adapted, making changes to slow down Audige, who scored 16 points in the second half.
“We countered with a little cheat on his pick and rolls that slowed down his offense,” Cronin said.
Cronin will have to make more adjustments in future rounds. You will have to figure out how to deal with the size. He will have to get the ball into Bailey’s hands more. But he has already taken care of the most important part. He has already taught his players how to win.
