No. 13 UCLA rallies in OT to beat UC Irvine 80-79

[November 14, 2012]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Jordan Adams scored 26 points, making all 16 of his free throws, and No. 13 UCLA edged UC Irvine 80-79 in overtime on Tuesday night in regional play of the Legends Classic.

Will Davis II missed two free throws with 2 seconds left in regulation that would have sealed the upset for the Anteaters (1-1), who fell to 10-35 all-time against Pac-12 teams.

Daman Starring tied the game on a 3-pointer and Michael Wilder's 3 gave the Anteaters a 79-78 lead with 22 seconds to go in the extra session. But Larry Drew II's layup with 17 seconds kept the Bruins (2-0) perfect at new Pauley Pavilion.

David Wear added 13 points and nine rebounds, and his twin brother Travis had 12 points and eight rebounds for the Bruins. They will host James Madison on Thursday night in their second regional game before moving on to the championship rounds next week in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Wilder scored 23 points -- one off his career high -- to lead Irvine (1-1). His six 3-pointers tied his career high. Davis added 12 points and Starring had nine points and 10 rebounds.

Daman Starring found Alex Young in the right corner for a 3-pointer with 54 seconds to go in regulation, putting the Anteaters up 67-65. David Wear's jumper hit the front of the rim before Adams made a pair of free throws to force OT.

In the five-minute OT, Adams scored six points, coolly making four free throws when UCLA twice clung to 1-point leads. The Bruins outscored Irvine 14-8 in OT.

Adams led UCLA in scoring for the second straight game as perhaps the least heralded of the school's highly touted freshmen. He scored 21 points in a season-opening win over Indiana State. Fellow newcomer Shabazz Muhammad, declared ineligible by the NCAA last week, spent his 19th birthday watching from the bench.

UCLA guard Tyler Lamb missed the game with a swollen left knee, a result of his recovery from arthroscopic surgery on that same knee last month.

The Bruins started strongly only to let up and see their 12-point lead shrink to 36-34 at halftime. The Wear twins combined to score 12 in a row and push UCLA's lead to 19-10 before both teams went through cold stretches. The Anteaters missed on seven straight possessions and the Bruins missed four in a row.

Irvine closed the half on a 19-9 run, with Wilder scoring five points and Flowers making four straight free throws.

[Associated Press; By BETH HARRIS]

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