UCLA’s March Madness run ends in heartbreaking Sweet 16 loss to North Carolina

This was not the top he envisioned to what had appeared like one other step in one other magical journey solely moments earlier.

After he had pushed by way of a lot, carrying his staff together with his pictures and his spirit whereas enjoying on a nasty ankle, Jaime Jaquez Jr. lastly needed to acknowledge it was over.

He caught the tail of his UCLA jersey in his mouth and glanced across the Wells Fargo Middle within the last moments Friday night time, no savior in sight.

Extending his distress, Jaquez needed to make the lengthy, lonely stroll to the free throw line on the other finish of the court docket after officers put three-tenths of a second again on the clock in order that North Carolina might shoot two meaningless free throws to increase its huge game-ending push.

The result on this NCAA match East Regional semifinal had appeared headed in a unique path simply two minutes earlier. The Bruins led by three factors and had been presumably about to get the ball again after their protection had pressured a missed shot.

“Simply do no matter it takes to get a win and get a cease,” UCLA guard Jules Bernard mentioned of his mindset in that second. “I imply, that’s our mentality. However clearly that’s not the way it went.”

The sequence that adopted will hang-out the Bruins for a whole offseason.

A wild flip save by the Tar Heels with the ball headed out of bounds. One North Carolina three-pointer after which one other, adopted by a tip-in.

By the point the breathless collection of misfortune ended, the Bruins’ three-point lead had been reworked right into a five-point deficit.

UCLA held no late counters in its bid to conjure extra postseason thrills, the fourth-seeded Bruins’ season ending with a 73-66 loss after the eighth-seeded Tar Heels scored 12 of the ultimate 14 factors.

“They’re heartbroken,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin mentioned of his gamers.

The sport felt nearly like a ticket to the Closing 4 provided that Fifteenth-seeded Saint Peter’s had upset Purdue earlier within the night, turning into the primary staff seeded that low to advance to the Elite Eight. North Carolina (27-9) will face the nation’s latest Cinderella on Sunday within the regional last.

There have been no instant tears for the Bruins (27-8) on their means off the court docket, level guard Tyger Campbell waving to followers after his staff fell brief in its bid to achieve a second consecutive Closing 4.

Campbell’s driving layup gave his staff a 64-61 lead with 2:07 left. Nearly every thing else went North Carolina’s means.

UCLA guard Tyger Campbell (10) is fouled by North Carolina guard Caleb Love through the first half.

(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Occasions)

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The Tar Heels made their very own fortune, beginning when heart Armando Bacot saved a missed shot from going out of bounds. He flipped the ball to Caleb Love, who rose for a three-pointer that tied the rating with 1:40 left.

“That’s going to maintain me up at night time,” Cronin mentioned of Bacot’s save.

As that they had for a lot of the sport, the Bruins went again to Jaquez, who grew to become their go-to man over the season’s last weeks earlier than he badly sprained his proper ankle towards the top of the second-round victory over Saint Mary’s. Jaquez tried to prop up his staff as soon as extra however missed a three-pointer.

Love then buried one other three-pointer to present the Tar Heels a 67-64 lead with 63 seconds left. After Jaquez missed one other jumper, Bacot transformed a tip-in to increase North Carolina’s result in 5 factors with 15 seconds left.

UCLA ahead Cody Riley (2) and guard Jules Bernard (1) attempt to rebound a shot by North Carolina ahead Armando Bacot (5) through the first half.

(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Occasions)

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Campbell drove for a layup however the Bruins fouled Love with seven seconds left and he made two free throws, basically sealing UCLA’s destiny.

Jaquez took his staff’s last shot and missed that as effectively earlier than UCLA’s Johnny Juzang fouled RJ Davis, resulting in these free throws that counted even when they didn’t matter. Jaquez completed with 10 factors on five-for-18 capturing, lacking his last 9 pictures after a steal and breakaway dunk with almost 17 minutes left. He mentioned his ankle wasn’t bothering him, however fatigue might have been an element after he logged 38 minutes.

“The reality is we had numerous good execution and the ball didn’t go in,” Cronin mentioned. “Our final three threes had been huge open. We received Jaime the ball down low. He’s delivered for us all yr time and time once more.”

Bernard led UCLA with 16 factors, Campbell added 15 and Juzang had 14. However the Bruins had been outrebounded by 9, surrendered 15 offensive rebounds and gave up a 19-6 edge in second-chance factors.

Love led the Tar Heels with 27 of his 30 factors within the second half after making 11 of 24 pictures general, together with six of 13 three-pointers.

“One scorching participant can ship you residence,” Bernard mentioned.

North Carolina ahead Brady Manek (45) celebrates after scoring a basket towards UCLA.

(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Occasions)

Six days after limping off the court docket together with his newest ankle damage, Jaquez introduced that he had totally recovered when he unleashed a few dunks in pregame warmups, together with one off a lob from a pupil supervisor. Jaquez’s jumper over Brady Manek on the finish of the shot clock pushed UCLA into an early lead, sparking an 8-0 push for a 22-14 benefit.

However the Tar Heels delivered the primary of many solutions, pulling to inside 31-28 by halftime.

The groups began buying and selling spotlight pictures, to not point out the lead, about halfway by way of the second half. UCLA’s Jaylen Clark made a nook three-pointer solely to be topped by a deep, straightaway three-pointer from Love.

The Bruins appeared to lastly have some separation when Bernard drove for a reverse layup and a 56-51 lead. Bruins ahead Cody Riley received the ball again with a block and steal, and a “U-C-L-A!” chant broke out because the staff arrange its offense.

However in an indication of issues to come back, Jaquez missed a layup and a brief jumper and North Carolina rolled off 5 consecutive factors, pulling right into a tie on Love’s three-pointer.

Cronin lauded his gamers for a two-year run that included having been ranked as excessive as No. 2 within the nation this season along with that Closing 4.

“They’ve restored UCLA to the nationwide scene,” Cronin mentioned. “My message to them is that you would be able to’t let folks say, ‘Properly, hey, you didn’t win all of it this yr or your season just isn’t successful.’ That’s a ridiculous assertion. Though I got here to UCLA to attempt to get this twelfth title and I’m not going to go away till I do.

“However for them — I’m a instructor, so for them their lesson has received to be, did they offer their greatest effort, and the reply is sure. These guys did an important job of constructing UCLA basketball related once more.”

During the last two weeks, North Carolina has taken on the position of UCLA from a yr in the past, an enormous identify with a low seed preventing for respect.

The Tar Heels discovered it. The Bruins went residence.