UCLA Wins Triple Overtime Thriller Over Arizona, 98-93

Sunday, January 27

Tucson, AZ

1:00 PM

UCLA

Arizona

OT 1

OT 2

OT 3

UCLA

Arizona

Kennedy Burke and UCLA improved to 4-1 on the road in Pac-12 play.

UCLA Wins Triple Overtime Thriller Over Arizona, 98-93

January 27, 2019 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Postgame Notes (PDF)

TUCSON, Ariz. – In the first-ever triple overtime game in program history, the UCLA women's basketball team came out victorious, taking down the Arizona Wildcats 98-93 on Sunday afternoon in a hostile environment.

Sophomore Michaela Onyenwere was unstoppable, posting 28 points and 13 rebounds, marking her seventh double-double this season, as well as her sixth 25+ point game. The Colorado native was also clutch, forcing overtime with a layup in regulation with three seconds left and later scoring the game-tying basket in the first overtime with 16 seconds remaining.

Two seniors in Lajahna Drummer and Japreece Dean had career days, as well. Drummer had a career-high-tying 18 points to go along with a career-high 17 boards, while Dean scored a career-best 26 points, going 9-for-9 from the charity stripe to give her 32 consecutive makes on the year.

Senior Kennedy Burke had 16 points and tied a career high with five steals, and redshirt freshman Lindsey Corsaro chipped in seven points and five rebounds.

This was just the second three-overtime game in Pac-12 history since 2001. The last time a Pac-12 team went to three overtimes was on Nov. 15, 2008 (Arizona vs. Loyola Marymount).

The Storyline
UCLA (11-9, 4-4) charged to an early 6-3 lead thanks to four points from Drummer before Arizona connected on five straight field goals to go up 12-10. The Bruins amped up their defense, forcing six turnovers in the stanza and holding Arizona to just one field goal in the final 5:16 of the quarter to snag a 16-14 edge.

The Bruins fell cold in the second quarter, shooting just 28.6 percent (4-for-14), allowing the Wildcats take a 33-30 advantage into the locker room. A 3-pointer by Dean gave UCLA its largest lead (24-18) of the first half, but the Wildcats closed the second stanza with a 15-6 run.

Corsaro knocked down a 3-pointer on UCLA's first possession of the second half to tie the game at 33 apiece.

Corsaro ties the game! pic.twitter.com/31SusKfDlz
— UCLA W. Basketball (@UCLAWBB) January 27, 2019

The Bruins never fell behind by more than five in the third frame. Burke used a spin move to nail a jumper and cut the deficit to one, but that's as close as the Bruins got in the quarter.

Just a casual jumper by Kennedy Burke! ?? pic.twitter.com/EgYxewJDl2
— UCLA W. Basketball (@UCLAWBB) January 27, 2019

In the fourth, Onyenwere collected her feet and rose for a jumper that pulled the Bruins, once again, within a single point at 52-51.

Oh. @_itsmichaela nails the near-impossible jumper & we have a one-point game! ??

52-51 Arizona | 4Q 5:41 pic.twitter.com/Eoypp0l4BM
— UCLA W. Basketball (@UCLAWBB) January 27, 2019

Then, Burke came up with another steal and layup to give UCLA it's first lead of the second half.

UCLA found itself trailing in the final seconds of regulation with less than 10 seconds left. That's when Onyenwere leaped for the board on a miss and tied the game with a put-back at the 3.3 mark, sending the game into overtime.

WE ARE TIED WITH 3.3 REMAINING! pic.twitter.com/ZVqyQz8hR5
— UCLA W. Basketball (@UCLAWBB) January 27, 2019

Thanks to a put-back by Drummer, UCLA snagged a 65-64 advantage with 3:17 on the clock, and then Onyenwere notched a layup on the break-away to put the Bruins up three.

Arizona kept UCLA without a field goal for nearly three minutes before Onyenwere came up with yet another huge basket, sending the game into double overtime.

DOUBLE OVERTIME!

How's your heart rate? ??????#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/IAaxg45TSp
— UCLA W. Basketball (@UCLAWBB) January 27, 2019

In double OT, the Bruins had a three-point (84-81) lead in the final seconds, needing just one stop to end the affair. But Arizona's Aari McDonald buried one of her four 3-pointer's on the right wing, creating five extra minutes.

Going to a third overtime here in Tucson...

Unbelievable @pac12 women's basketball! pic.twitter.com/FRfVt6Fldo
— UCLA W. Basketball (@UCLAWBB) January 27, 2019

The Wildcats (14-6, 4-5) charged to an 87-84 advantage thanks to another trey from McDonald before the Bruins fired back with a 9-2 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Burke in the corner.

??? KENNEDY BURKE! pic.twitter.com/WdAuKkcgHi
— UCLA W. Basketball (@UCLAWBB) January 27, 2019

In the final 26 seconds, UCLA went 5-for-6 from the line, and the Bruins held on for the historic win.

Key Stats of the Game
17 – Lajahna Drummer's 17 rebounds marked a career high for the fifth-year senior. She passed Jackie Joyner (752) to number 12 all-time in program history and now has 760 rebounds for her career.
25 – Michaela Onyenwere eclipsed the 25-point mark for the sixth time this season, finishing with a team-high 28 to go along with a career-high-tying 13 rebounds.
26 – Japreece Dean scored a career-high 26 points and went 9-for-9 from the free throw line.
20 – UCLA was +20 in second-chance points, outrebounding the Wildcats 58-48.
16 – The Bruins only had 16 turnovers in the 55-minute outing while forcing 23 Wildcat miscues, which turned into a 30-20 advantage in points off turnovers.

Up Next
UCLA returns home to face Washington (Feb. 3) and Washington State (Feb. 5).

First triple OT game in UCLA women's basketball history ends with a Bruin win! ????@Lajahnaa: 18 pts & 17 rebs@_itsmichaela: 28 pts & 13 rebs@japreece24: 26 pts & 7 rebs#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/l8VpkEdbRE
— UCLA W. Basketball (@UCLAWBB) January 27, 2019