No. 4 UCLA tops Colorado, claims Pac-12 regular-season title Arizona State stuns No. 7 Arizona 89-88 on Cambridge’s heave In NIL-era first, NCAA gives Miami probation for violation Kermit Davis is out as Ole Miss men’s basketball coach Utah projected as No. 1 seed in women’s NCAA Tournament Michigan trails early, pulls away from Rutgers for 58-45 win

BOULDER, Colorado. Jaime Jacques Jr. scored 17 points and Tiger Campbell scored 13 of his 14 points in the second half as UCLA No. 4 beat Colorado 60-56 on Sunday.

Amari Bailey added 11 points for UCLA (25-4, 16-2 Pac-12), which won its eighth straight to end an undefeated February and clinch the regular season conference title.

“It doesn’t change anything,” said UCLA coach Mick Cronin. “Our goal along the way was to win the Pac-12 to try and stay in the West (for the NCAA Tournament). So, we have more games to win in order to try and reach this goal. In addition, we have the longest home winning streak (23 games) in a country that we are very proud of. So we are focused on the state of Arizona.”

With the Pac-12 and the NCAA Tournament approaching, Jacquez agreed with his coach that now is not the time to stop there in the regular season.

“That was one of the goals we set for ourselves at the beginning of the year. And we succeeded,” he said. “And now we have two more goals that we also want to achieve. And we’ll just keep working hard.”

KJ Simpson had 14 points to lead Colorado (15-15, 7-12). Tristan da Silva, who left the game with just over five minutes left due to an apparent calf injury, and Luke O’Brien scored 13 points each. Colorado narrowly missed a loss to UCLA after a lopsided loss to USC.

“It’s a different feeling after losing tonight than after losing Thursday night and I’m talking to the players about how the reason they are upset and frustrated tonight is because they were wrestling with their tails,” the coach said. Colorado” Ted Boyle. . “They fought tooth and nail and they didn’t make it.”

Buffalo bounced back to take a 45–44 lead after a da Silva three-pointer with 8:13 remaining to end the Buffalo streak 8–2. The game remained tense, with the score tied at 3:41 twice in the final.

Jaques made one of two free throws with 2:17 left to give UCLA a one-point lead, with Campbell adding another basket for the Bruins. Buffalo came back within two points of a pair of free throws from Lawson Lovering with seven seconds left. Amari Bailey was fouled in the ensuing field play and hit both free throws to secure a win over Colorado, who missed a shot in the closing seconds.

Losing a basket at halftime, UCLA scored the first seven points in the second half to take a 35–30 lead. It was the Bruins’ first lead since Jacques dunked in the first minute of the game. Tiger Campbell ended the streak with a three-pointer, the first from beyond the arc for the Bruins, who hit 0-for-6 in the first half.

UCLA missed 10 of their first 11 shots and trailed 11-2 before gradually closing the gap to 30-28 due to Jaylen Clark’s layup shortly before halftime. Colorado was unable to build on their early lead due to their own offensive problems and effectively finished the first half shooting 37.9%, about two percent lower than UCLA’s over the same period.

3-POINT SERIES

The Bruins made one of their 14 three-pointers, but it was enough to extend their 23-year streak. Tiger Campbell’s 3-pointer early in the second half extended UCLA’s streak with at least one 3-pointer to 782 games. The Bruins have not been without three-pointers in a game since hitting 0-for-14 from three on February 3, 2000, in a 78–63 loss at then-second place at Stanford.

BIG PICTURE

UCLA: The Bruins pulled off a landslide win that will serve them well as they turn their focus to the postseason. They overcame a slow start and uneven attacking play, keeping their composure against an underdog but determined opponent, relying on their defensive intensity to drive the game to victory.

Colorado: The Buffalo put up a big effort against a powerful UCLA team, going head-to-head with their opponent until the last moments. They have shown that they can compete with the best in the conference and with a young roster they have shown that they have the potential to improve in the near future.

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UCLA: Opens last regular season home stand on Thursday against Arizona State ahead of Saturday’s final against No. 7 Arizona. The Bruins have a 23-game home winning streak since last season, the longest active streak in the country.

Colorado: Hosts Utah in the regular season finals on Saturday.

TUCSON, Arizona. Arizona State’s final loss to the rivalry seemed inevitable even after a late rally when all that was left was desperate.

Desmond Cambridge Jr. cashed it out by swinging the McKale miracle to keep the Sun Devils’ NCAA Tournament hopes alive.

Cambridge Jr. landed a 60-foot blow to the buzzer and Arizona State rallied from a 10-point deficit to beat No. 7 Arizona 89-88 on Saturday.

“I didn’t think this shot would hit the target,” Cambridge said after scoring 19 points. “I just wanted to miss well so that everyone in the crowd went, “Oooh!” As soon as he came in, I literally could only scream because I couldn’t understand it.”

The Wildcats (24–5, 13–5, Pak-12) led by 10 and then went over six minutes without a field goal, with Arizona State taking a lead by one.

The Sun Devils (20-9, 11-7) went up 86-85 with a layup by Warren Washington with just a minute left, but Pelle Larsson again took Arizona out of a layup with 29 seconds left.

Arizona State’s DJ Horn missed with a jumper with four seconds left and the Sun Devils had a last shot after Umar Ballo hit 1 of 2 free throws.

Catching the ball with 2.4 seconds left, Cambridge stunned the McKale Center fans with an out-of-bounds kick that caused his teammates to throw themselves to the floor in celebration.

“We had pocket aces, and that happens sometimes,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said.

Cedric Henderson Jr. led Arizona with 19 points while Azuulas Tubelis added 17.

In the first meeting, Arizona State made a big push to open the second half, but Lloyd didn’t take a timeout, allowing his team to weather the rough patch. In response, the Wildcats got ahead of their own to win 69–60 on an evening when neither team shot better than 37%.

The rematch was all about attack.

The Sun Devils hit as many 3-pointers in the first eight minutes as they did in the entirety of Game 1 and 20 of 34 field shots in a 46–45 lead.

The Wildcats landed 16 of 27 shots, including 3 from Henderson, but 7 of 14 came from free throws.

Good shooting only subsided a little to start the second half.

Arizona went on a short run to build a six-point lead, and the Sunny Devils began making questionable shots, allowing the Wildcats to extend it to 78–68.

Even as defensive pressure mounted to get back into it, Arizona State appeared to be in decline – until Cambridge came to the rescue, snapping the Sunny Devils’ five-game losing streak to Arizona.

“A lot of people jumped ship and thought we weren’t the right team, but we are the right team, and the guys proved it tonight by going head-to-head with a team like the Arizona on their home court at the end of the season.” Arizona said. State coach Bobby Hurley said.

NUNES OUT

Arizona State played without defenseman Austin Nunez, who is on concussion protocol from an injury sustained last week against Utah.

The freshman point guard is averaging 4.5 points, giving the Sunny Devils a boost on the bench.

Free throw problems

Arizona had a huge free throw lead, 12 points ahead of Arizona State from the line.

The Wildcats could use a few more points, finishing 23 of 34.

“You’d like to do another one or two, that probably makes a difference,” Lloyd said.

BIG PICTURE

Arizona State: The Sunny Devils needed to improve their chances of entering the NCAA Tournament. One of the most beautiful finishes in the history of the rivalry should certainly help.

Arizona: The Wildcats were in control before walking off the field at the wrong time. Their seniors will never forget how their last home game ended after the stunning Cambridge.

NEXT

Arizona State: Plays No. 4 at UCLA on Thursday.

Arizona: Playing in Southern California on Thursday.

CORAL GABLES, Florida. Miami was sentenced to one year of probation on a Friday after school, and the NCAA said women’s basketball coaches inadvertently helped orchestrate inappropriate contact between a booster and two Hurricanes-signed players.

This is the first time the NCAA has announced a penalty related to investigating transactions involving names, images, and likenesses—the NIL, as they’re called.

The NCAA was investigating booster John Ruiz, who signed several Miami-based athletes to NIL deals. Among them are basketball players Hayley and Hannah Cavinder, who moved to Miami after meeting Ruiz, although the Cavinders told the NCAA that the meeting had nothing to do with their decision to play for the Hurricanes.

The NCAA and Miami worked on a “negotiation resolution” to end the saga, but the NCAA wanted the Hurricanes to agree to more sanctions than what was ultimately handed down. booster”. The NCAA said the violation was due to Miami coach Cathy Meyer helping arrange a meeting between Cavinders and Ruiz without knowing he was the sponsor.

“Boosters are interacting with prospects and student-athletes in a way that NCAA members have never seen or encountered,” the NCAA said in a statement. “Thus, combating unacceptable booster behavior is critical, and the disconnection penalty represents an effective punishment available to the (violations committee).”

Meyer will no longer have to miss games; she served a three-game suspension to start the season pending an NCAA ruling.

The NCAA never named Ruiz in its Friday ruling, but referred to an April 13 tweet posted by the booster that included a photo of him and two recruits….