LOS ANGELES — Adem Bona tried to do it.
Amid a first half riddled with lackadaisical defense, scoring droughts of four and two minutes, and no trademark energy plays from Jaime Jaquez Jr. or Jaylen Clark, Bona tried to inject energy into the Bruins.
The 6-foot-10 freshman center skied to block a shot, rejected the ball toward the UCLA bench and began to run after it with no regard for anything (or anyone) in his path. He leaped into his teammates trying to save the ball, but the attempt was unsuccessful.
UCLA fans recognized the effort, applauding Bona for his monster block and sacrificing play. But the injection didn’t take as UCLA mulled its way to a four-point halftime deficit.
In the second half, Dylan Andrews, who started in place of senior Tyger Campbell, tried what Bona did in the first half. It changed the trajectory of the game as fourth-ranked UCLA used a spirited second half to top Stanford, 73-64, on Thursday night in a Pac-12 Conference matchup at Pauley Pavilion.
Jaquez led the Bruins with 26 points on 8-of-17 shooting and a 9-of-11 effort from the free-throw line to go with eight rebounds in 38 minutes. Jaylen Clark added 16 points, six rebounds and three steals in 37 minutes. David Singleton and Tyger Campbell each scored eight points.
UCLA (22-4 overall, 13-2 Pac-12) has now won 22 straight games at home, the longest streak in the country.
Andrews used a hesitation dribble to shake two defenders before converting an old-fashioned 3-point play at the beginning of the second half to spark an 8-0 run. It also sparked those trademark UCLA plays, too. Singleton hit a 3-pointer. Clark had a dunk and steal. Jaquez splashed a midrange jumper.
Stanford went on a 12-0 run later in the half to go back in front 50-45, but UCLA battled back, anchored by a deep 3-pointer from Campbell which was followed by a coast-to-coast play from Clark that ended in a two-handed dunk for a 58-57 lead with 6:42 to play. The Bruins never relinquished the lead for the…
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