This was the type of score Chris Waller wanted. It just didn’t come with the matching result.
While UCLA delivered a season-high score of 197.275 at Saturday’s NCAA regional final in Morgantown, W. Va., the Bruins failed to advance to the NCAA championships after finishing third behind No. 4 Michigan (198.1) and No. 5 California (197.75).
It’s the first time since 2006 that UCLA hasn’t qualified for the national championships as a team. Saturday marked an abrupt ending to a season that has been fraught with challenges since the beginning, when the Bruins’ practices were delayed because of local health guidelines prohibiting gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic.