Despite losing their first game in the Hall of Fame Classic, UCLA basketball was able to bounce back with a huge win over the Wisconsin Badgers.
In the consolation game of the 2017 Hall of Fame Classic in college hoops, two incredibly talented programs in the UCLA Bruins and the Wisconsin Badgers battled. Both of these teams were playing their second game in as many days and even though the players had to have been tired, the game was exciting for all 40 minutes. In the end, though, only one could be declared the winner and that happened to be UCLA.
In the first half, Wisconsin and head coach Greg Gard did an excellent job controlling the pace. The Badgers only gave up 31 first-half points to the offensive juggernaut that is UCLA. The Bruins may have been allowed to shoot 50% from the field in those first 20 minutes, but Wisconsin was able to force them into 10 turnovers that limited their offense.
The Badgers, on the other hand, played at their tempo and avoided any major foul trouble while scoring 38 points and holding a seven-point advantage at the half. Yet, this lead could have been much bigger if the team did not allow UCLA to finish the first half on a 5-0 run.
Building off of that momentum, UCLA came out shooting strong in the second half. In a better offensive second half, the Bruins put up 41 points on 57.7% shooting from the floor and by knocking home a ridiculous seven of their nine 3-point attempts (77.8%). Wisconsin struggled a bit shooting in the second half as they only shot 43.5% from the field, but they were still in front 65-59 with 3:52 left to play.
Then, after a Jaylen Hands‘ 3-pointer cut UCLA’s deficit to just three, it was all Aaron Holiday to close the game for the Bruins. In the final three minutes of the game, Holiday scored the last 10 points for UCLA, including the game-winning lay-up with 0.9 seconds left on the clock.
For UCLA, this will go down as a big win. They are playing without the three players suspended for their actions while in China before the season opener and the length of that suspension is still unknown. As the team grows in the early season, they are starting to have better chemistry and they are playing through their leaders in Thomas Welsh and Aaron Holiday.
The Bruins will likely remain in the top-25 thanks to their win over the Badgers in this one despite their loss to Creighton. This team could use this win as a springboard for future victories. Coach Steve Alford will have things to address with his team, especially when it comes to committing turnovers, but this was still a very solid win.
For Wisconsin, this marks their third consecutive loss. Thankfully, each one has come against a ranked team (Xavier, Baylor, and UCLA) but this has not been a great stretch. In each of these games, the Badgers have had legitimate shots to win the game with less than two minutes to play and failed to convert.
In each game, their opponent’s star has stepped up to take the victory. First, it was Trevon Bluiett hitting back-to-back threes for Xavier. Then, Manu Lecomte scored 10 points in the final two minutes for Baylor. And now, Aaron Holiday dropped in the final 10 points for UCLA to beat the Badgers.
Going forward, Wisconsin is going to need at least one of their perimeter players to step up as a go-to scorer or lockdown defender. Only five Wisconsin players scored in this game and Ethan Happ was the leader with 19 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. He is clearly the best player on their team, but others will need to step up in crunch time.
Next: Previewing the PK80 Victory Bracket
In the end, this will go down as a quality win for UCLA. This win will definitely help the Bruins’ resume at the end of the year and could impact where they are seeded. On the Wisconsin end, this is their third straight missed opportunity. They will need to finish games better if they want to snag some important wins down the stretch. The Badgers are young and learning though, so improvement will be expected.
Next up for UCLA (4-1): The Bruins will face UC-Irvine at home on Nov. 26.
Next up for Wisconsin (2-3): The Badgers get in-state opponent UWM at home on Nov. 24 next.