The Washington Huskies men's basketball team put on a three-point exhibition Thursday night, sinking a season-high 15 triples to take down the UCLA Bruins with a comfortable 94-77 victory. The electric performance from downtown was just three shy of the program's record. With a strategic focus on the pick-n-roll, Washington's guard duo Sahvir Wheeler and Koren Johnson were able to consistently break down the Bruins' defensive efforts, either finishing at the rim or kicking out to awaiting shooters, as reported by The Seattle Times.
Starting the week off RIGHT#TougherTogether pic.twitter.com/a1OJppnVPi
— Washington Men's Basketball (@UW_MBB) March 1, 2024
The Huskies, who have been middle-of-the-road in terms of three-point shooting in the Pac-12, managed to capitalize on UCLA's clear tactical dare to try and to shoot from the outside. Keion Brooks Jr. and Moses Wood emerged as the main beneficiaries of UCLA's defensive lapses. Brooks lit up the scoreboard with a career-high six three-pointers on his way to 32 points, while Wood contributed four long-range buckets for 18 points, as per The Spokesman. This marked the final Pac-12 regular-season matchup between the schools, as Washington (16-13, 8-10) snapped a nine-game losing streak to UCLA (14-14, 9-8) before their conference shift.
Braxton Meah also played a key role for the Huskies, going a spotless 8-for-8 from the field, and finishing the game with 19 points, including seven dunks, a testament to the well-oiled offensive machine Washington brought to Alaska Airlines Arena. Wheeler, who acted like a true floor general, dished out 11 assists, with Johnson adding five of his own before fouling out, as per game details provided by The Los Angeles Daily News.
UCLA's frustration was palpable, with coach Mick Cronin receiving a technical foul within the first 20 seconds of the game. Postgame, Cronin expressed his disappointment with the team's display, stating, "That wasn't a Mick Cronin team out there tonight. We looked soft all night, so very, very frustrated," according to a post-game debrief by The Los Angeles Daily News.
