LAS VEGAS — UCLA had just watched its best big man leave the floor with a scary left shoulder injury, and an eight-point lead shrink to three in the immediate aftermath of his absence. The Bruins looked shell-shocked and on the verge of losing grip of their Pac-12 semifinal matchup with Oregon with 14:47 to play.
Senior guard Tyger Campbell answered with a soothing jumper. Nothing special, but enough to ease some worries in Westwood.
But it was a start of a run in which Campbell scored 11 of the Bruins’ next 13 points. A jumper off the backboard, another pull-up, a 3-pointer. Then, the coup de grace, a pull-up jumper with 7-footer Kel’el Ware closing in. The diminutive Campbell didn’t blink, draining the shot.
His efforts pushed the UCLA lead back to 11, and Campbell’s career-high 28 points pushed the Bruins to a 75-56 win, clinching a spot in the Pac-12 championship game Saturday against the winner of Friday night’s Arizona-Arizona State game.
Campbell added six assists while fellow senior Jaime Jaquez Jr. contributed 18 points and 10 rebounds.
The semifinal had a good tempo from the start. The teams each ran after rebounds to try to prevent the other from settling into its half-court defense. But after making its first two shots, UCLA (29-4) missed seven of next eight, with Jaquez seeing two attempts blocked.
Jaquez started the game 2 for 7 from the floor, and Campbell 2 for 8.
But a 3-pointer from senior David Singleton settled the Bruins. Freshman Dylan Andrews came off the bench and hit two quick jumpers before lobbing the ball to fellow freshman Adem Bona for a go-ahead dunk.
Bona picked up right where he left off Thursday, providing UCLA instant energy. He finished a second lob from Campbell and met Rivaldo Soares at the rim for a two-handed block. As he fell back to earth, Bona grabbed the rebound and passed it off before landing on his back. Campbell rewarded his efforts with a 3 on the other end.
He continued that work to start the second…
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