Simply because it all happened so fast, it’s worth reliving the final minute of Cal’s 86-84 loss to UCLA. In fact, the Bears scored 13 points in a span of just 40 seconds, beginning with Richard Solomon’s baseline driving dunk with 50.9 seconds left that cut the margin to 79-73.
Here’s how it unfolded after that:
— Reeves Nelson turns the ball over on a 5-second inbounds violation before Crabbe stumbles briefly and still makes a 10-foot bank shot.
— Another UCLA turnover — this one a Tyler Honeycutt pass stolen by Jorge Gutierrez — leads to a Solomon dunk off a pass from Crabbe with 43 seconds left. Cal scores six points in a span of 8 seconds — without a free throw — and trails just 79-77.
— UCLA point guard Lazeric Jones — the Bruins’ savior before Reeves Nelson’s last-second heroics — hits two free throws with 41.0 seconds left.
— Crabbe makes a jumper with 32.4 seconds left and it’s 81-79.
— The Bears immediately foul again, No. 5 for Sanders-Frison. But he fouls Jones, who makes two more for an 83-79 lead with 30.3 seconds left.
— UCLA’s Brendan Lane inexplicably fouls Crabbe with 23.2 seconds left and the freshman makes both free throws. Now it’s back to 83-81.
–Forced to foul, Cal sends Jones back to the line with 18.1 seconds left. This time, after making seven in a row, he misses the first, makes the second. UCLA leads 84-81.
— Brandon Smith rushes the ball upcourt, gets it to Gutierrez who finds Crabbe coming around a screen on the right wing, behind the 3-point arc. Crabbe hit the shot — Cal’s only 3-pointer of the night — and the game is tied with 10.8 seconds left.
— UCLA gets the ball upcourt to Honeycutt, who is surrounded by three or four defenders. He releases a shot from around the free throw line while falling back. Kamp’s momentum has him stumble toward Honeycutt — away from the rim — as the shot goes up. Solomon is closest to the basket, apparently waiting for a rebound, but doesn’t look to block out. Nelson races through the defense, untouched and apparently unseen by anyone, and tips the ball in with his right hand.
Summarizing: 40 seconds, 13 points — all by freshmen.
