They lost their leading scorer in the final minutes. They lost their mind in the final seconds. As its Sweet 16 game with Alabama stunningly ended in a regulation tie, UCLA had seemingly lost the momentum, mojo, and magic that had carried it to the precipice of a program revival. Then, in five brilliant overtime minutes, they found it. Once again, for a fourth straight occasion in this wild ride of an NCAA tournament, they found it. They found that Wooden wisdom, that Kareem coolness, that Walton toughness, that inner-Bruin that once carried this program to 11 national titles. They found a three-pointer by David Singleton, a blocked shot by Cody Riley, a steal and layup by Tyger Campbell, a fall away three by Jaime Jaquez Jr., a rolling stretch of resilience that once defined an era. It’s back. They’re back. Go ahead, dance like those giddy kids in blue at Hinkle Fieldhouse’s midcourt in Indianapolis Sunday night, because UCLA basketball is officially elite again. Overcoming a buzzer-beating three pointer by Alex Reese that tied the score at the end of regulation, the Bruins shrugged, sighed, and blew out the favored Crimson Tide in overtime to claw out an 88-78 victory in the East Region semifinals and earn an Elite Eight matchup Tuesday with Michigan.“[Bleep] yeah! ” came the happy curse from off-camera before the UCLA postgame videoconference.“That was us celebrating, my hair is all wet, we were throwing water, it was a good time in that locker room right now, ” Jaquez said. He and his teammates had spent the previous couple of hours playing as if their hair was on fire, overcoming a more athletic and skilled Alabama team that threatened to run away early and then seemingly applied a dagger late. The result was their second overtime victory in this tournament and second win as a lower seed amid echoes of Bruin history. This is UCLA’s first trip to the Elite Eight since Ben Howland last took them there in 2008, with one slight difference. That team had Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love and Darren Collison. This team has the three J’s — Johnny Juzang, Jules Bernard and Jaquez. With stomping and stalking Bruins boss Mick Cronin continuing to delight all of Westwood by creating a team that wills its way to victory, this was arguably the best-coached UCLA win since Howland’s three-year Final Four run began in 2006 with a Sweet 16 upset of Gonzaga. Yet there is another slight difference. That team had Jordan Farmar, Arron Afflalo and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. This team played the final 2:27 and overtime without fouled-out star Juzang.“You know how much I’ve been trying to instill the will in them, where you just refuse to give in, somebody may beat you but you never let up and you never give in, ” Cronin said. It is only Cronin’s second year, but his team reflects his toughness as if he’s been here for decades. They make the extra pass. They take the thundering charge.
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