Top 25 roundup: No. 4 UCLA edges Colorado to claim Pac-12 title

 

[February 27, 2023]  No. 4 UCLA overcame a dismal shooting performance to outlast Colorado, claiming the Pac-12 Conference regular-season championship with its 60-56 win on Sunday in Boulder, Colo.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. led the Bruins with 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting as UCLA ran its winning streak to eight games. The Bruins (25-4, 16-2 Pac-12) came into Sunday's matchup needing a win to claim an outright league title, thanks to Arizona's loss on Saturday to Arizona State. However, Colorado jumped to an early lead of 10 points then exchanged the advantage with the visitors throughout the second half.

The Buffaloes (15-15, 7-12) pulled ahead with 4:58 left to play on a bizarre sequence in which Lawson Lovering picked up his dribble, then, after finding no passing options for several seconds, dribbled again. No call was made, and moments later, Luke O'Brien connected on a 3-pointer that pushed Colorado ahead, 49-48.

The Buffs and Bruins exchanged baskets on the next two possessions, with Colorado answering Tyger Campbell's jump shot with Nique Clifford's 3-pointer that gave the Buffaloes a 52-50 advantage. It was the last made field goal for the Buffs, who closed on a 4:11 shooting drought from the floor.

No. 20 Providence 88, Georgetown 68

Ed Croswell scored a career-high 25 points and Jared Bynum drilled six 3-pointers for all 18 of his points as the Friars cruised past the Hoyas in Washington, D.C.

Croswell added 13 rebounds and six assists for Providence (21-8, 13-5 Big East), while Bynum also had six assists. Noah Locke chipped in 12 points, as did Devin Carter, who added seven rebounds and five assists. The Friars overcame leading scorer Bryce Hopkins committing three fouls early in the first half by engineering a 24-5 run for a comfortable cushion.

Feb 26, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. (24) shoots the ball past Colorado Buffaloes guard Luke O'Brien (0) in the second half at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Primo Spears tallied 26 points to lead Georgetown (7-23, 2-17), which has lost its last 12 games against Top 25 teams. Jay Heath supplied 19 points for Georgetown on 5-of-8 shooting from 3-point range.

Maryland 75, No. 21 Northwestern 59

Jahmir Young scored 16 of his 18 points in the first half and his teammates took over in the second half as the hot-shooting Terrapins rolled past the Wildcats in College Park, Md.

Don Carey scored 13 points while Julian Reese added 12 points and 10 rebounds as Maryland (20-9, 11-7 Big Ten) won for the eighth time in its last 10 games and improved to 10-0 at home in the conference.

Maryland made 14 of 22 3-pointers (63.6 percent) and moved into a second-place tie in the league with Northwestern (20-9, 11-7). Chase Audige had 16 points to pace the Wildcats, but only two came in the second half. Brooks Barnhizer added 11 points and Matthew Nicholson had 10.

--Field Level Media

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