Tyger Campbell scored a career-high 28 points and took over during a key stretch after another UCLA starter was injured as the No. 2-ranked Bruins advanced to the Pac-12 tournament title game with a 75-56 victory over Oregon on Friday night in Las Vegas.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. had 18 points and 10 rebounds for top-seeded UCLA (29-4), which played the final 16:16 without shot-blocking big man Adem Bona, who suffered a left shoulder injury while diving for a loose ball. The Bruins were already playing their second game without Jaylen Clark, the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year.
UCLA awaits the winner of the Arizona-Arizona State game late Friday night.
Fourth-seeded Oregon (19-14) trailed by eight when Bona left the game and quickly climbed within 46-43 before Campbell took control. Using his dribble to create opportunities, he made four consecutive jumpers and scored nine points over a span of 2:35 to put his team up 57-46 at the 8:05 mark.
The Ducks, needing a victory to keep alive at-large hopes for the NCAA Tournament, never got closer than seven points after that. UCLA closed on a 17-5 run.
Campbell, who poured in 20 points in the second half, finished with six assists. David Singleton added 12 points for UCLA, which is seeking its first conference tournament championship since 2014.
Will Richardson and Quincy Guerrier each scored 10 points for Oregon. N’Faly Dante posted eight points and 10 rebounds.
UCLA scored on five consecutive possessions early in the second half, capped by 3-pointers from Singleton and Jaquez, to give the Bruins a 44-36 lead before Bona, the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, suffered his shoulder injury. After being attended to by medical personnel, he left the court with a member of the medical staff holding his left arm in place.
Bona returned to the bench during a timeout with 11:11 to go.
Neither team led by more than five in the first half, although UCLA never trailed in the final 10 minutes. The Bruins went up by four points on Amari Bailey’s fast-break dunk with 36 seconds to go, but Richardson answered with a driving jumper in the lane to make the score 32-30 at halftime.
–Field Level Media