LOS ANGELES_One of the largest crowds of the season jammed into Pauley Pavilion and waited for the fun to begin.
The video board showed one UCLA luminary after another, Sidney Wicks waving and Baron Davis smiling and Gail Goodrich holding a basketball as the honorary captain.
A student won a year's worth of tuition, fake money floating into the air after he discovered he had the winning box.
For about 38 minutes on Saturday night, it seemed like that might comprise the extent of the entertainment.
The Bruins bricked their way to a considerable deficit against Arizona, dropping themselves into a hole from which even their steady defense couldn't fully extract it after they followed one empty possession with another.
Point guard Tyger Campbell had missed his first 10 shots when he rose for a jumper with the score tied and less than a minute to play. He banked it in while falling down.
The crowd could finally unleash its fully frenzy, the Bruins on their way to an improbable 69-64 victory that they pulled out despite one of their worst offensive performances of the season.
"Just like we drew it up," UCLA coach Mick Cronin cracked afterward.
UCLA shot 33.3% but made the ones it needed to, closing the game on a 13-4 run to move into sole possession of first place in the Pac-12 Conference. The Bruins (19-11 overall, 12-5 Pac-12) ran over to celebrate their seventh consecutive victory with students seated behind one basket after the game, leaping joyously in unison.
"First place!" a fan yelled in the upper deck. "First place!"
