The second-seeded Bruins shut down the third-seeded Trojans defensively in the first half, then get a sterling offensive second half for a 69-59 win.
LAS VEGAS — The two regular-season games between UCLA and USC were tight affairs, with each team clawing back in comeback attempts only to be stymied in the final minute or seconds. But when the two rivals met in a Pac-12 Tournament semifinal in Las Vegas on Friday for a rubber match, the second-seeded Bruins left little doubt about the result, relentlessly out-executing No.3 USC to the tune of a 69-59 win. The Bruins were led by their three hot-shooting guards, with Jaime Jaquez scoring 19 points and Jules Bernard and Tyger Campbell adding 15 and 14, respectively. Guard Boogie Ellis tied his career-high with 27 to lead the Trojans. UCLA (25-6) advances to face top-seeded Arizona (30-3) in the title game on Saturday at 6 p.m., the Bruins’ first appearance in the league championship since 2014. “It’s what we all work for, try to get that trophy and cut the nets down,” Jaquez said. “So we’re all excited, we’re ready to go.” USC (26-7) returns to Los Angeles to await its NCAA Tournament seeding on Selection Sunday after losing three of four — two to UCLA and one to Arizona — to close the season. “We know the stakes down the stretch,” guard Drew Peterson said. “We’re gonna stay confident, we’re gonna be in the gym and we’re going to be ready to go.” Friday’s performance was a masterclass in taking care of business by the Bruins. There was little flash, no clear stand-out performer in the game, no defining run to put the game to bed.
