No. 6 Arizona holds off UCLA in Pac-12 semis

LAS VEGAS – T.J. McConnell penetrated into the meat of UCLA's troublesome zone and dished to Stanley Johnson on the right wing. The Arizona freshman never hesitated, drilling a 3-pointer, the biggest shot in

Arizona's 70-64 Pac-12 Tournament semifinal win

Friday night at MGM Grand Garden Arena.

With the win, the Wildcats (30-3) advanced to Saturday's Pac-12 Tournament final to face the winner of Friday's second contest, Utah and Oregon. They also proved once again that they can make plays when it counts most.

After Johnson's 3, UCLA countered. Freshman Kevon Looney buried a 3-pointer to bring the Bruins – fighting for an NCAA Tournament bid – to within 66-64. The Bruins then fouled McConnell. The senior point guard swished two free throws. Then, after a UCLA timeout, UA sophomore Rondae Hollis-Jefferson blocked Looney's 3-point attempt, preserving the win.

It happened that quickly.

UCLA dropped to 20-13. The Bruins have given UA trouble during the six-year Sean Miller era. They beat the Wildcats in last season's tournament finale. They battled them last month in Tucson before losing by 10. Overall, they were 7-7 against Miller since he took the job in Tucson.

This one gives UA an edge.

Junior forward Brandon Ashley had a career-high 24 points and seven rebounds, shooting 9 of 11 from the field and 6 of 7 from the foul line. Johnson had 15 points. McConnell finished with 10 points, six rebounds, 11 assists and three steals (with a season-high five turnovers). Hollis-Jefferson contributed a career-high 12 rebounds.

The Wildcats grabbed 15 offensive rebounds, turning them into 12 second-chance points. Down seven midway through the first half, UA went on a 15-0 run to get the lead. They had to battle from there.

UCLA senior guard Norman Powell led UCLA with 21 points. Junior forward Tony Parker added 15. The Bruins shot 43 percent, making 4 of 10 from 3-point range.

UA opened fast. McConnell hit a 3. Johnson hit a 3. After Ashley hit a short jumper, UCLA coach Steve Alford no longer could wait for the media timeout. With UA up 11-2 and its fans going crazy, he called time.

From there, the first half shifted. UCLA went zone. During his college days at Indiana, Alford probably played fewer than five possessions of zone in four years under coach Bob Knight. But this season, the zone has saved the depth-challenged Bruins.

Here's how the 3-2 sets up: Instead of putting only guards out top, Alford puts Looney at the point of the zone. Looney – who played this game with a mask after suffering a facial injury in Thursday's quarterfinal – stands 6-foot-9. He has a 7-3 wingspan. His length causes problems, and so UA struggled, missing nine of its next 10 from the field.

Contributing: UA was sloppy with the ball. Entering the contest, McConnell had played in 70 games in two years with the Wildcats. Only four times had he finished a contest with four or more turnovers. Friday, McConell had four in UA's first 24 possessions. And he wasn't alone.

In the final seconds of the first half, junior guard Gabe York made a bad inbounds pass that UCLA's Bryce Alford intercepted. The UCLA sophomore guard dribbled down and buried a 3-pointer right before the buzzer, tying the contest at 27-26.

Doug Haller writes for Azcentral Sports.