UCLA Defeats Washington Behind Career Night from Jaquez Jr.

Seattle, Wash. – Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored a career-high 30 points and powered the No. 12-ranked UCLA men's basketball team to a 77-66 victory over Washington on Monday evening at Alaksa Airlines Arena.
 
UCLA (22-6, 14-5) dominated on the glass, achieving a 40-28 rebounding advantage over the Huskies. The Bruins also hit 21 free throws compared to just nine from Washington. UCLA trailed by four points at half, but outscored the Huskies, 52-37 in the final 20 minutes of the contest.
 
Jaquez Jr. was joined in double figures by Jules Bernard, who put up 12 points. Terrell Brown Jr. led the way for Washington with 20 points on 9-20 shooting.
 
Both teams struggled offensively to start the first half, as the Huskies maintained just a 9-8 lead at the 10:12 mark. Consecutive field goals from David Singleton gave UCLA a 13-10 advantage.
 
Washington tied the game at 15 and the teams exchanged baskets until it was 23-23 with 2:52 to play in the half. Brown Jr. and Jamal Bey each hit jumpers for the Huskies to send UW into the locker room with a 29-25 lead.
 
Jaquez Jr. had an impressive first half with 13 points on 5-6 shooting. Bey led the Huskies with 10 points at the break.
 
The Bruins opened the second half with a 9-0 run courtesy of baskets from Jaquez Jr. and Jaylen Clark, taking a 34-29 lead before a media timeout with 15:47 remaining. The Huskies answered with a bucket, but UCLA fired right back with an additional 7-0 run that saw Jaquez Jr. eclipse the 20-point mark for the fifth time this season.
 
Later, it was 57-46 before David Singleton knocked down a triple off an offensive board from Cody Riley. Jaquez Jr. then added a pair of free throws to give him 30 points on the night and put UCLA up, 66-48.
 
Kenneth Nwuba supplied the exclamation point on the night with a two-hand slam off a slick post move with 1:34 to play. UW hit a couple threes late in regulation to cut the final deficit to 11.
 
UCLA returns to Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom for its final regular season game of the season, a matchup against USC on Saturday, March 5 at 7 p.m. PT on ESPN.
 
The Bruins will then head to the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas (March 9-12).