PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) — Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 20 points, Adem Bona made the winning basket with 19 seconds left and No. 11 UCLA overcame a 12-point first-half deficit to beat Washington State 67-66 on Friday night.
The Bruins (11-2, 3-0 Pac-12) won their ninth straight thanks to a terrific defensive effort in the final 10 minutes when the Cougars (5-9, 0-3) went cold shooting and allowed UCLA the chance to rally.
Jaquez scored 16 points in the second half and was 10 for 10 at the foul line. Tyger Campbell added 16 points and David Singleton had 14, hitting a jumper with 1:43 left that pulled the Bruins to 64-63.
DJ Rodman led Washington State with a season-high 19 points and had a good look at a winning 3-pointer in the final seconds, but it hit the rim and UCLA won on the Palouse for only the third time in its last eight trips.
Mouhamed Gueye added 18 points and 18 rebounds for Washington State. His free throws with 1:14 left gave the Cougars a 66-63 lead. But Jaquez hit a pair from the foul line to pull the Bruins within one and after a Washington State turnover, Bona’s layup attempt was goaltended by Gueye and gave UCLA the lead. It was the Bruins first lead since 5-3.
Washington State scoring leader TJ Bamba was held to five points on 2-of-9 shooting. The Cougars missed 11 of their final 12 shots and didn’t have a field goal after Justin Powell’s 3-pointer with 7:23 remaining.
BIG PICTURE
UCLA: The Bruins played without starting guard Amari Bailey because of a sore foot. Bailey traveled with the team but did not suit up. Bona started in Bailey’s place and finished with seven points.
Washington State: The Cougars have lost five of six and seven of nine in the month of December. Five of those losses have been by nine points or less.
UP NEXT
UCLA: At Washington on Sunday.
Washington State: Hosts Southern California on Sunday.
AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP[–]Top25
