UCLA suffered a devastating loss before tipoff Saturday when it was announced that senior guard Chris Smith had sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee two days earlier and would be lost for the season.
Smith, the Bruins’ second-leading scorer and the Pac-12 Conference’s most improved player last season, was injured in the final minute of the first half of his team’s 72-70 victory over Utah on Thursday, going down hard behind the baseline after committing a foul. He immediately clutched his knee but returned after halftime and made a three-pointer to help his team hold on for the triumph.