UCLA keeps winning streak alive with furious last-minute rally never before seen in Pac-12

UCLA did the improbable multiple times Thursday night to come back and defeat Oregon, 87-84, in overtime of a Pac-12 match-up that saw two teams going in opposite directions.

UCLA trailed by nine in the final 51 seconds and tied it to force overtime. It’s the largest deficit overcome in the final minute in Pac-12 history and tied for the sixth-largest in the final minute of a Division I game, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

Texas A&M’s 12-point comeback over Northern Iowa in the 2016 NCAA Tournament holds the top spot, according to ESPN.

The victory is the third win in as many tries under interim coach Murry Bartow after Steve Alford was fired to start the calendar year.

Oregon takes 17-point lead

The Ducks held on to a double-digit lead for most of the second half and led by 17 with seven minutes remaining in the contest. With 2:30 to go they still led by 13.

UCLA’s Prince Ali hit a 3-pointer with 2:21 to begin the 21-8 run that set up overtime. Ali had a game-high 22 points, including going 4 for 7 from beyond the arc.

A historic comeback

UCLA trailed by nine points, 65-74, with 51 seconds on the clock. The Bruins’ Jules Bernard and Jaylen Hands each made 3-pointers sandwiched around two made free throws by Oregon’s Payton Pritchard to cut the deficit to five, 76-71, with 36 seconds to play.

The teams traded free throws before an Ali 3-pointer with three seconds left put UCLA within one, 78-77.

UCLA immediately fouled. Pritchard made both free throws for Oregon in his first points of the night, pushing the team up three, and set up an Oregon decision that nearly backfired.

Going to overtime

Oregon decided to foul with 3.3 seconds on the clock instead of allowing a potential game-tying 3-point shot.

Hands made his first and purposely missed the second. With .7 seconds left, Chris Smith came in from behind the 3-point arc and grabbed the rebound for an easy lay-up.

“What’s happened here in Eugene. They were out of the game a minute ago,” the announcer said, being quite literal.

Smith was fouled on the shot, but missed the game-winning free throw to give Oregon life.

Of the late collapse, Oregon head coach Dana Altman told the Oregonian, “We probably handled that as poorly as we possibly could.”

UCLA wins in OT

Oregon scored the first four points of overtime before Prince Ali took over for UCLA. He tied the game with two free throws and a jumper at 1:41 remaining.

Hands gave the Bruins their first lead since 5:31 left in the first half with a basket at :51. Moses Brown added a free throw and Louis King, who scored a career-high 22 points, missed a game-tying 3 with a second left in overtime.

Ali may have put it best in a remark overheard by Los Angeles Times writer Ben Bolch:

Pac-12 teams diverge

UCLA played and won its third game since firing Alford. The team is 3-0 in the Pac-12 and 10-6 overall after a four-game losing skid leading to the former coach’s ousting.

Smith gave credit to Bartow, the interim coach, in comments after the game. From the Los Angeles Times:

Oregon is going the opposite way, despite opening the season as the Pac-12 preseason favorites. The Ducks are 0-2 in the conference and 9-6 overall. They made four of their final 21 attempts from the floor in the loss.

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