LOS ANGELES — A valiant Louisiana-Lafayette second-half rally came up just short, and No. 22 UCLA kept finding the shots it needed in the final 10 minutes to take a 89-80 win.
The Cajuns (3-5) came out firing to start the second half, knocking down nine of their first 14 second-half shots to trim a 15-point UCLA lead to four with 10:13 to go.
Point guard Jay Wright was crucial during that stretch, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers and a layup for eight points in the opening minutes of the half.
But as soon as it looked like the Cajuns were on the verge of taking their first lead of the game, the Bruins regained control.