ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Lonzo Ball had 16 points and 10 assists to help No. 14 UCLA beat Texas A&M 74-67 on Sunday as the Bruins won the Wooden Legacy championship game.
Issac Hamilton scored all 17 of his points in the first half, to lead UCLA (7-0), which beat Portland, New Mexico and Texas A&M to win the title.
Ball, who was named the tournament’s MVP, had 47 points and 28 assists over the three games.
Texas A&M (4-2) had a lead at 63-62 late in the second half, but was done in by turnovers and missed shots in the final minutes.
Admon Gilder led the Aggies with 17 points, and Tyler Davis added 16.
Ball missed six of his first seven shots but still founds ways to help the Bruins, especially as a facilitator. The UCLA guard set the tournament record for assists.
Texas A&M Basketball
Postgame Notes
#14 UCLA 74, Texas A&M 67
Nov. 27, 2016 – Honda Center (Anaheim, Calif.)
RECORDS & TOURNAMENT NOTES
– Texas A&M fell to No. 14 UCLA 74-67 during the championship game of the 2016 Wooden Legacy on Sunday inside Anaheim’s Honda Center … The Aggies’ season ledger now stands at 4-2 on the season.
– Sophomore center Tyler Davis was named to the Wooden Legacy All-Tournament Team after averaging 12 points and 7.3 rebounds during the Aggies’ three-game run at the event.
TEAM NOTES
– The game was a tight affair throughout, featuring nine lead changes, six ties and neither team holding a lead of more than nine points.
– A&M came out of the chute hot in the contest, scoring 11 of the game’s first 13 points before UCLA responded with a run of its own to tighten the game … the Bruins took a slim 35-34 lead into halftime.
– Texas A&M used the starting lineup combination of JC Hampton, Admon Gilder, DJ Hogg, Tonny Trocha-Morelos and Tyler Davis for the sixth time this season (4-2).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
– Sophomore guard Admon Gilder tied his career high with 17 points in the contest, converting on 6-of-12 field goal shots including a trio of 3-point baskets (3-of-6).
– Sophomore center Tyler Davis, meanwhile, contributed 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting while pulling down eight rebounds and grabbing three steals.
– Junior Tonny Trocha-Morelos fell just short of a double-double, piling up 11 points and nine rebounds in the loss.
– Rookie Robert Williams continued his impressive play on the young season by blocking three shots and scoring 12 points.
– Texas A&M head coach Billy Kennedy fell to 103-72 in his sixth season at Texas A&M and 314-251 in 19 seasons as head coach.
UP NEXT
– The Aggies will return to College Station to begin preparing for their next contest which will come Dec. 5 when they host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 7 p.m.
Sunday, November 27, 2016
CHAMPIONSHIP
Post-Game Quotes – UCLA 74, Texas A&M 67
UCLA Coach Steve Alford = “Really proud of these guys. Texas A&M is a great basketball team that we got a chance to play that is very well coached. Another team that has a different style. This is our third game in the tournament, so we were not preparing for A&M a week ago when we were home we were really preparing for our bracket. We couldn’t emulate them at practice zone. I thought it got us a little stagnant, we stood around a little bit in the first half, but that is what early season stuff is all about. You learn more and more about different styles and the irony of what we can to this tournament, everyone talking about our offense and yet what we probably learned the most going home is that we got some work to do with half-court offense because we have been in transition so much. I thought we got great strides this week defensively. And the thing I really liked is that against Nebraska and now again against Texas A&M, who I think A&M and I thought Nebraska played well against us the other day. With five minutes left in the game these guys learned just how to go take the win. That is exciting, coaching a new group like that because we are still a new team. But down the stretch they were terrific and these two (Lonzo Ball and Isaac Hamilton) were a big part of that. Very proud of the team it has been a fun team to coach.
Texas A&M Coach Billy Kennedy – “UCLA showed how good they really are. Alford, the three guards, Ball, Hamilton really gave us problems. Thought we had some bad possessions offensively but a lot of it had to do with UCLA. I was really impressed with their poise on the perimeter. We had a hard time guarding those guys.”
Even though you had an edge in the paint were you hoping for more touches for Tyler [Davis] and [Robert] Williams? – “We were just talking about that. He got 13 shots. They got him off the block and he did a good job of helping off of our perimeter guys and we have to do a better job of getting him the ball. I thought the pace was where we wanted it to be. We wanted to be in the low 70s. DJ Hogg has been shooting the ball really well for us and he had some good looks and unfortunately we weren’t able to put the ball in the hole enough. And again, UCLA is a big reason why.”
Your impressions of Lonzo Ball and did UCLA take on his unselfishness sometimes? – “Yeah and the big thing which made him special is he made big shots. He struggled shooting the ball in the first half and in the second half I mean–at the end of the first half he made some shots. But that big three that he took—that was a deep shot that most of the time as a defense you’re going to say he’s gotta make it. He’s a difference maker for them on the perimeter. I don’t know if they’ve had that the last year or two when he could go make a play for somebody else and he can make a play for himself. He’s a really good player.”
How did you feel with three of four minutes left about your chances? – “We felt good. We thought if we could keep it under five then maybe the pressure would revert back to on them and then Lonzo Ball hit a big shot. Thought we had a transition basket where we threw it behind when we had a chance to lay it up. And then we turned it over at the top where our post guy—Robert Williams and DJ [Hogg] gave them the ball. You can’t make those mistakes against a top 10, top 15 team, basically on the road. Again, UCLA is really good.”
Texas A&M Tyler Davis – What did you think of the way UCLA guarded you and did they have anyone who could really match up with you? – ” No, they had nobody that could match up with me. But they did do a good job of what coach Kennedy said, getting me off the block. I felt comfortable, but in our offense, me being on the block is where the money is at. And I have to do a better job of being in my position and creating angles for my guards to get me the ball.”