Maples Pavillion sounded like Pauley Pavillion within minutes.
After Jaime Jaquez scored a transition dunk early in the first half, “U-C-L-A” chants were the only noises heard from the crowd. The No. 21 UCLA Bruins had opened up a 17-0 lead over the Stanford Cardinal.
The Bruins’ defense fueled their early success as they forced six turnovers and made all of their first eight shot attempts, many in transition following takeaways.
“[The run] was a great way to come out and put our foot on their neck,” said freshman guard Amari Bailey.
The Cardinal was not finished there, though.
The Bruins fell cold, scoring just 16 points in the first 16 minutes of the second half. The Cardinal cut their lead down to single digit points with under five minutes remaining.
However, when the Bruins needed a spark, Jaquez was ready. He rescued them with back-to-back baskets en route to an 80-66 victory.
“They just started pressuring us, and we… could have folded under that pressure,” Jaquez said. “We made some turnovers, but we made up for it with our defense and trying to get great shots.”
Jaquez led the Bruins on both ends of the floor. Defensively, he actively cut off passes, leading to a three-steal night. Offensively, he mainly scored in the post (as usual for him).
The senior forward finished with 27 points on 12-of-17 shooting from the floor.
Team-wide, the Bruins shot well, making 59.3% of their shots. Most of the scoring success came in the first half, though.
Bailey continued his hot streak following consecutive double-digit games against the Pepperdine Waves and Bellarmine Knights. He scored 19 points against the Cardinal, exhibiting explosive drives to the rim and fearlessness from behind the three-point line.
Traditionally regarded as a pass-first guard, Tyger Campbell demonstrated his scoring ability. He scored 17 points through baskets from all three levels of the court. However, the stereotypical playmaker also stuck to his roots. Campbell dished out six assists in the first 11 minutes, sparking the early lead.
The win moves the Bruins to a perfect 1-0 in PAC-12 conference play. However, after the up-and-down matchup, they will seek consistency against the Oregon Ducks on Sunday.
