March 12--REPORTING FROM LAS VEGAS -- By the second half of UCLA's 96-70 win over USC, each time Isaac Hamilton made a shot -- and there were more than a few times -- he'd let out an involuntary giggle.
Hamilton could not miss. He made two three-pointers to start the half. He pounced on a loose ball and threw down a dunk. He bulled his way past a double team.
Soon, USC was denying him the ball, and it made no difference at all. He made 13 of 17 shots and scored 36 points, setting a career high by 15 points. It was the most points scored by a UCLA player since Dijon Thompson scored 39 in 2005
The first two times UCLA had played USC, Hamilton had been a bit player, the fifth option in the Bruins' starting five. It had been that way all season for the sophomore.
In this third meeting, the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 tournament, he was, by a wide margin, the best player on the floor.
UCLA's win sets up a semifinal game against top-seeded Arizona, which could make or break the Bruins' NCAA tournament fate.
UCLA is ranked 50th in the Ratings Percentage Index, and most experts predict it needs a win over Arizona to make the NCAA tournament. The Bruins have played the toughest schedule in the Pac-12, but they have just one signature win, over Utah, which is No. 17 in the RPI. A win over No. 7 Arizona would be their best victory of the season.
The status of Kevon Looney for that game is not clear. Looney sustained what the team categorized as a facial injury in the first half against USC and did not return. In the second half, he left to undergo a CT scan to determine the nature of the injury.
USC hung with the Bruins for about eight minutes until Hamilton took over the game. Katin Reinhardt scored an efficient 20 points, and Nikola Jovanovic had 17 for the Trojans.
The Bruins sealed USC's fate with a 14-0 first-half run, followed closely by a 9-0 run.
The latter was capped by a Hamilton three-pointer. Bryce Alford, who earned the assist, ran back on defense and put his arm in the air before Hamilton had even released the shot.
Hamilton got even hotter in the second half. He scored 15 of UCLA's first 19 points, and didn't miss any of his first six shots in the half.
Shortly before the midway point in thehalf, the heat was finally wearing off. Hamilton got over-excited and hoisted a corner three. It didn't even make the rim.
Now it was Steve Alford's turn to laugh.
Given that Hamilton had already set the team's season high for points, and that he hadn't missed yet in the half, he had earned a little leeway.
zach.helfand@latimes.com
