Second Half

What happened: Gadzuric got the Bruins off to a strong start, blocking a shot and running down court to score on an alley-oop dunk for a 30-30 tie. Barnes took over the game after that, scoring nine points in a span of 1:36 to give UCLA a 43-36 lead. A behind-the-back pass by Barnes on a fastbreak led to a layup by Knight and a 49-41 lead, matching the Bruins’ largest advantage. But, as it had in the first half, Missouri mounted a comeback. Gilbert and Rush each made two three-point baskets to complete a 14-4 run, giving the Tigers a 63-59 lead with 7:05 to play. Center Johnson muscled inside for a three-point play and a short basket on consecutive possessions to extend the Tigers’ margin to 70-61. UCLA, meanwhile, was hurt by turnovers and cold shooting. Paulding missed a breakaway dunk that would have given Missouri a 12-point lead, but the Bruins never got closer than seven in the final three minutes. Lavin threw in the towel with 46.6 seconds left when he cleared the bench.

Not in the box score: Reserve forward Justin Gage was a defensive spark for Missouri, at one point diving for a loose ball. He failed to come up with that one, but he later forced Barnes into a critical turnover.

Winning number: Missouri made seven of 13 three-point shots in the second half.

Wrong numbers: After Cedric Bozeman’s basket in the lane gave UCLA a 59-57 lead with 8:02 to play, the Bruins went more than four minutes without a field goal. Kapono took only eight shots and scored seven points in 31 minutes. UCLA made only three of 17 three-point shots in the game.

Leading scorers: UCLA: Barnes 16, Knight 10. Missouri: Gilbert 17, Rush 16.

Leading rebounders: UCLA: Barnes 5, Knight 4. Missouri: Johnson 8, Travon Bryant 4.