The Ucla Bruins won't be winning their fifth Pac-12 Conference tournament title this season. UCLA didn't have the best day in the office on Friday, which resulted in a loss to the Arizona Wildcats in the conference semi-final. The Wildcats cruised past the Bruins with a double-digit win 86-75 to secure a final meeting with the Oregon Ducks.
UCLA entered the 2017 Pac-12 Men's Basketball Tournament with a record of 29 wins and just three losses on the season. Two big conference rivals, UCLA and Arizona, met twice during the regular season -- with both programs capturing a win against each other.
Before the game on Friday, the Bruins were yet to be defeated twice by the same opponent in the 2016/2017 campaign. That came to an end after a defeat suffered to the Wildcats.
Did Lonzo Ball suffer an injury?
UCLA Bruins star Lonzo Ball may have gotten injured during the first half of the game. An air-balled three-pointer by a Wildcat player seemed to have hit Ball in his thumb, which resulted with Ball grabbing his thumb immediately. Bruins coach Steve Alford substituted Ball at one point of the half, but it didn't take long for the coach to insert his star back in the game.
The ball did finish the match for the Bruins, but he clearly wasn't at his best against the Wildcats. The freshman ended the game with just eight points on a 2 of 7 shooting from the field and added six assists and five rebounds as well.
The fact that Ball did continue to play should be encouraging, and hopefully, it was not a big deal.
Just three players in double-digits for UCLA
The UCLA Bruins used eight players in their rotation against the Arizona Wildcats. Of those eight players, only three have finished the game with more than 10 points. Isaac Hamilton led the way with 20 points, while TJ Leaf and Thomas Welsh contributed with 15 and 13 points respectively.
What's next for the Bruins?
Well, the real deal is just around the corner. Selection Sunday is set for March 12th, and the first 2017 NCAA March Madness Tournament games will kick off next week. The UCLA Bruins are an 11-time NCAA tournament champions and soon will be bidding to win their 12th title. Even though the Bruins did struggle in the Pac-12 tournament, they certainly won't be taken for granted by their upcoming opponents.
