In danger of playing their way out of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015, the UCLA Bruins put themselves back in contention with a pair of hard-fought road wins last week over Arizona and Arizona State, one coming in triple overtime, the other by two points.
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The latest UCLA triumph came on Sunday afternoon in Tucson in what was the first-ever triple overtime game in program history, as the Bruins defeated the Arizona Wildcats 98-93. This was just the second three-overtime game in Pac-12 history since 2001. The last time a Pac-12 team went to three overtimes was on Nov. 15, 2008 (Arizona vs. Loyola Marymount).
First triple OT game in UCLA women's basketball history ends with a Bruin win! 💯🙌: 18 pts & 17 rebs: 28 pts & 13 rebs: 26 pts & 7 rebs
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB)
Sophomore Michaela Onyenwere and Japreece Dean combined for 54 points to lead the way for the Bruins. Onyenwere had 28 points and 13 rebounds, marking her seventh double-double this season, as well as her sixth 25-plus point game. Dean scored a career-best 26 points, going 9-for-9 from the charity stripe to give her 32 consecutive makes on the year. Senior Lajahna Drummer added a career-high-tying 18 points to go along with a career-high 17 boards.
UCLA found itself trailing in the final seconds of regulation, before Onyenwere tied the game with a put-back at the 3.3 mark, sending the game into overtime. Another put-back, this time by Drummer, gave UCLA a 65-64 advantage with 3:17 on the clock. Then Onyenwere notched a layup on a break-away to put the Bruins up three. Arizona kept UCLA without a field goal for nearly three minutes before Onyenwere came up with yet another huge basket, sending the game into double overtime.
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In the second overtime, the Bruins had a three-point (84-81) lead in the final seconds, needing just one stop to seal the game, but Arizona's Aari McDonald buried one of her four 3-pointers on the right wing, sending the game to a third overtime. The Wildcats (14-6, 4-5) charged to an 87-84 advantage thanks to another trey from McDonald before the Bruins fired back with a 9-2 run, capped by a corner 3-pointer from Kennedy Burke. In the final 26 seconds of the third overtime, UCLA went 5-for-6 from the line, and the Bruins held on for the historic win.
ICYMI: Japreece Dean drilled the game-winning 3-pointer with nine seconds remaining to lift over No. 16 Arizona State.
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB)
UCLA, which won its sixth straight against Arizona State, trailed by four with less than two minutes remaining before rallying to the 61-59 victory over the No. 16 ranked Sun Devils on Jan. 25. Dean, who scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds, drilled the game-winning 3-pointer with nine seconds remaining, and sophomore Lauryn Miller exploded for a career-high 17 points off the bench to propel UCLA. Onyenwere added 11 points, and Drummer just missed a double-double with eight points and 11 rebounds.
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The Bruins, 11-9 overall and 4-4 in the Pac-12, returns home this week to face Washington State (Feb. 1) and Washington (Feb. 3).
