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UCLA Basketball: Bruins Narrowly Escape Upset Attempt by UC Riverside

The Bruins were without Head Coach Mick Cronin -- who's reportedly sick with COVID-19.

Jason Fray

UCLA Basketball: Bruins Narrowly Escape Upset Attempt by UC Riverside
UCLA Basketball: Bruins Narrowly Escape Upset Attempt by UC Riverside /
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It was announced before tip-off that Mick Cronin would miss tonight's game between UCLA and UC Riverside after testing positive for COVID-19.

While the natural symptoms of the illness may have him feeling crummy, he was also likely sweating bullets watching the game as his Bruins narrowly pulled out the victory 66-65 courtesy of a Dylan Andrews layup with 3.2 seconds remaining. 

It was a grind throughout between both teams. UC Riverside was very perimeter-oriented -- making UCLA switch constantly on high ball screens. The strategy was effective for the most part. Adem Bona fouled out after registering as many points (4) as turnovers (4) in only 14 minutes of action on the court. 

The Highlanders made the Bruins pay from behind the arc as they connected on 14-of-32 three-point attempts. UCLA also had a couple of inopportune injuries. Berke Buyuktuncel rolled his ankle badly in the first half and didn't return. 

Though the injury is unclear, Sebastian Mack was down on the floor multiple times during the second half. After causing the last-second steal to end the game, he was carried off the floor by two teammates (grimacing the entire time). 

With all of that said the Bruins found a way to win. Dylan Andrews was assertive when it mattered most. He led the team with 17 points on 7-of-12 from the field. Will McClendon had 11 big points off the bench, and Aday Mara probably played his most complete game of his young career. 

He finished with 9 points and 4 rebounds. More so than that, his ability to move his feet on defense and switch onto smaller defenders was much better than it's been previously. 

UCLA gets more than a week off to lick its wounds before a massive non-conference test at Villanova on Dec. 9. 

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Jason Fray
JASON FRAY

Jason Fray is a proud native of Los Angeles. After graduating from UCLA in 2011, he's written for a number of publications -- including Bleacher Report, FOX Sports, Saturday Down South, and New Arena. In his downtime, he enjoys writing scripts, going to shows, weekly pub trivia with the boys, trying the best hole-in-the-wall food spots around town, and traveling (22 countries & counting).