Pacific-12 Conference Tournament Recaps

Las Vegas, NV (SportsNetwork.com) – For the third straight season, Arizona and UCLA met in the Pac-12 tournament and for the third straight time, it went down to the wire.

Brandon Ashley poured in a career-high 24 points, T.J. McConnell had a double- double and unlike the previous two seasons, No. 5 Arizona prevailed with a 70-64 win over the Bruins to advance to the finals.

“To be honest, it’s not anything we’re thinking about,” Ashley said when asked about previous tournaments. “It’s just another game for us. We want to take it one game at a time.”

Ashley did most of the heavy lifting early on, but it was McConnell and Stanley Johnson who carried the Wildcats (30-3) to the finish line.

Holding a two-point lead inside of two minutes, Johnson worked his way to the foul line and sank a pair of free throws. Tony Parker answered with a layup at the other end but out of a timeout, McConnell penetrated and kicked to Johnson for a 3-ball from the left wing.

McConnell, who finished with 10 points and 11 assists, iced the win with two free throws with 19 seconds left. Johnson ended up with 15 points and nine rebounds and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson pulled down 12 boards in the win.

Arizona will take on Oregon, which knocked off Utah on Joseph Young’s game- winning 3-pointer, in Saturday’s final.

Norman Powell had 21 points and Parker netted 15 for UCLA (20-13).

“It’s really frustrating,” Powell said. “To go out there and leave it all on the floor, all 40 minutes, to come up short.”

Arizona jumped out to an 8-0 lead, but a 12-2 Bruins run later in the half led to a balanced opening period. Bryce Alford’s 3-pointer, his first basket and UCLA’s first trey of the half, just before the buzzer sent the two teams into halftime tied at 27-apiece.

The Bruins bridged halftime with an 11-0 run to briefly gain control of the game. They were in front 47-40 following Powell’s layup at 12:07 before the Wildcats put their foot on the gas and showed their fans at MGM Grand why they were the class of the Pac-12.

Ashley’s jumper at 7:02 gave the junior his career high and put the finishing touches on a 15-0 run. Six different players scored during the flurry that included a pair of UCLA timeouts.

Game Notes

Arizona has posted back-to-back 30-win seasons for the first time in program history … Arizona hasn’t won the Pac-12 tournament title since 2002 … The Wildcats have won 10 straight games … The two teams combined for just 15 bench points.

Final Score: Oregon 67, (17) Utah 64

Las Vegas, NV (SportsNetwork.com) – With time winding down in the biggest game of the season, the Pac-12 Player of the Year took matters into his own hands.

Joseph Young was midway between the 3-point line and midcourt when he let his game-winner fly. It hit nothing but nylon.

Young scored a game-high 25 points and the Oregon Ducks upset No. 17 Utah 67-64 to advance to the Pac-12 Tournament finals.

Oregon held a 64-62 lead when Young was whistled for a charge with 12.1 seconds to go. Delon Wright drew a foul at the other end and tied the game with a pair of free throws.

The quick inbounds pass went to Young, who rushed the ball up the court and pulled the trigger prematurely with just under three seconds left, but it swished through the net nonetheless. Wright’s three-quarter court heave missed short at the horn.

“We made a play at the end and won the ball game,” said a humble Young.

“We fought at the end. I had the turnover, but my team didn’t give up on me.”

Dillon Brooks and Elgin Cook added 14 and 13 points, respectively, for the Ducks (25-8), who will take on top-seeded Arizona in Saturday’s championship.

Brandon Taylor made six 3-pointers for a season-high 24 points and Wright finished with 16, nine rebounds and five assists for the Utes (24-8).

“Great players rise to the occasion, and at the end of the day, (Young) made a crucial play for his team,” Taylor said. “That’s really all I can say, it was a tough shot.”

Utah took its biggest lead of the game late in the first half, when Taylor’s 3-pointer made it 31-25, but the Ducks scored the final five before halftime.

Young’s trey 4 1/2 minutes into the second half gave Oregon its first lead since it was 5-2. Utah briefly reclaimed the lead on a Taylor 3 two minutes later, but Dwayne Benjamin hit from deep at 11:41 and the Ducks played frontrunner from there until Taylor’s corner 3 with 2 1/2 left knotted the game at 60.

Oregon responded at the other end, with Cook absorbing contact on a putback layup following Young’s missed layup. Cook’s tip, and the free throw that ensued, went in to make it 63-60.

Game Notes

Arizona beat Oregon both meetings this season by an average of 22 points … Neither team led by more than six points … Utah won the rebounding margin, 36-24.

Categorized in: NCAA Basketball