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Sean Jones hit a 3-pointer with 36 seconds left to lift the No. 4 Marquette Golden Eagles (4-0) past the upset-minded UCLA Bruins (3-1) 71-69 in the final game of the first day of the Allstate Maui Invitational at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
Marquette came back from a 12-point deficit with a 17-point second-half run and also withstood two missed shots by UCLA after Jones’ basket before time ran out.
“Down 12, our huddle was the huddle of a team of character,” Marquette coach Shaka Smart said.
David Joplin led Marquette with 19 points. UCLA’s Sebastian Mack was game-high with 25 points, but he missed a shot at the buzzer that would have tied it.
“We took our time and stayed composed,” Joplin said. “Told each other one step at a time. I think it started with defense.”
UCLA led 35-30 at halftime, and expanded the advantage to 12 points with 15:03 left, before the Marquette comeback.
After Marquette was up 68-64 with 2:10 left, UCLA battled back to a 69-68 lead with 53 seconds left before the clutch shot by Jones. Jones had missed all four of his previous 3-point shots, and finished with five points.
“We got rattled offensively,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said. “They’ve got great players and we got rattled. It took too long to get our composure back. Too many defensive breakdowns against their penetration.”
