Los Angeles, CA – Larry Drew II's layup with 17 seconds remaining in overtime lifted No. 13 UCLA to an 80-79 win over UC Irvine.
Jordan Adams was a perfect 16-of-16 from the free throw line and finished with 26 points for UCLA (2-0), which shot just 37.8 percent (28-of-74) from the floor and 16.7 percent (2-of-12) from three-point range.
Drew tallied 10 points and eight assists in the win.
Michael Wilder netted 23 points to lead UC Irvine (1-1), which had a chance to win the game in regulation, but Will Davis II missed a pair of foul shots with three seconds left.
The Anteaters outrebounded the Bruins, 51-39, but lost the turnover battle, 18-9.
A pair of 3-pointers by Wilder and Alex Young, sandwiched around two Adams free throws, gave UC Irvine a 67-65 advantage with 54 seconds left in regulation.
David Wear missed a jumper on UCLA's ensuing possession, but Kyle Anderson stripped the ball away from Wilder in the paint with 10 ticks to go and threw an outlet to Adams, who was fouled with seven seconds remaining.
He calmly sank both foul shots to knot the contest, and Davis' two misses at the other end sent it to an extra session.
Two Adams free throws established a 76-73 edge for UCLA before Daman Starring's triple tied the score with 1:19 to play in overtime.
Anderson's tip-in gave UCLA the lead right back, but Wilder knocked down a three to swing the pendulum back in the Anteaters' favor, 79-78, with 29 seconds remaining.
But Drew had the answer.
The Bruins, who led by as many as 12 in the opening 20 minutes, held a 36-34 advantage at the break.
The Anteaters began the second half on an 9-3 spurt and took a 43-39 edge following Davis' tip-in.
Game Notes
UC Irvine finished 11-of-21 from the foul line, while UCLA shot 22-of-27 from the charity stripe ... The Anteaters were 45.5 percent from beyond the arc (10-of-22).
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