Carlson of Utah scores at the buzzer as the Utes defeat UCLA 70-69 to end the Bruins’ six-game winning run.
Before Deivon Smith missed a layup, the Utes raced and inbounded the length of the court. In the midst of traffic, Carlson caught the ball and scored. The crowd stood, anticipating the referees’ call for a video review. 0.2 seconds were added to the shot clock after the basket was ruled good, but the Bruins were unable to get a good shot during that time.
Utah’s first victory at Pauley Pavilion since 2018-19 was capped off by 17 points apiece from Smith and Carlson. Since joining the Pac-12, the Utes have swept the Bruins in two different seasons. In Salt Lake City on January 11, they thrashed UCLA 90-44.
With Smith’s ten assists, the Utes (16-10, 7-8) snapped their three-game losing streak. For the Bruins (14-12, 9-6), who lost top scorer Sebastian Mack in the first half after he was sent off for fouling Carlson, Lazar Stefanovic scored a season-high 19 points while playing all 40 minutes.
Poor shooting from both teams and a lot of whistles from the referees characterized the rematch. With 9:53 remaining, Mack, who averages 13.5 points, was removed for a flagrant 2 foul. Midway through the play, it looked as though he elbowed Carlson in the throat, knocking him to the ground. Before Carlson left the court, a trainer came to check on him.When facing his former squad, Stefanovic showed himself to be a reliable player. He grabbed eight rebounds and made eight of nine free throws. After the Bruins had led by six, Keba Keita’s layup leveled the score at 64 for the Utes. Of the Utes’ final 15 points, 13 were scored by Keita and Smith combined.
Halftime saw the referees bounce off the field. After neither team led by more than seven points at the half, with UCLA leading 36-34, both coaches were given technical fouls. The Bruins made 13 trips to the free throw line, and the Utes made 11, but neither team shot more than 37% in the first half.
Utah: On their trip to Los Angeles, the Utes played it close, falling to USC on Thursday by a score of four points. UCLA: The defeat kept UCLA from taking the lead in the Pac-12 standings. They are aiming for a first-round bye if they finish in the top four of the league tournament