Kris Wilkes was already hobbled with calf cramps when he rose for the three-point shot that could ease his pain.
The crowd roared in appreciation, Wilkes’ shot with nine-tenths of a second remaining Saturday night at Pauley Pavilion completing a wild comeback from a late five-point deficit and lifting the Bruins to an improbable 65-62 victory over Notre Dame.
Wilkes had gone to the locker room earlier in the second half with cramps and had to be helped off the court by teammates after his winning shot completed UCLA’s game-ending 8-0 run.
The sequence was set up by Jalen Hill blocking a shot off the backboard, allowing Prince Ali to grab the rebound and dribble up court before finding Wilkes for the winner in transition.