Lonzo Ball scare boosts pressure on UCLA as it faces Cincy at Golden 1 Center
South Region, second round
Who: No. 3 UCLA (30-4) vs. No. 6 Cincinnati (30-5)
When: Sunday, 6:40 p.m.
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento
TV: TBS
Line: UCLA by 4
Three things to watch
Sweet pursuit: The pressure is on for both teams, certainly, especially for UCLA, a prolific bunch seeking its third Sweet 16 bid in the last four seasons. A defensive-minded team, Cincinnati pursues its second Sweet 16 since 2012 and won at Golden 1 on Friday after losing NCAA Tournament openers twice in the previous three years on the West Coast.
Ball bruise: UCLA star guard Lonzo Ball put a scare into Bruin nation when he took a hard fall trying to catch a lob late in the first half of Friday night’s 97-80 win over Kent State at Golden 1. He was helped to his feet and was a bit wobbly, but the freshman returned to action and finished with 15 points, four rebounds and three assists.
Ball said he’s good to go, but if he’s slowed even a little bit, Cincinnati has to pounce.
Cincy 1-2-3 punch: For all the firepower of UCLA, Cincinnati has a nifty 1-2-3 trio with Troy Caupain, Gary Clark and Kyle Washington with inside-outside scoring versatility. Caupain had 23 points, Washington 16 and Clark 15 to beat Kansas State 75-61 on Friday.
This story was originally published March 18, 2017 at 7:40 PM with the headline "Lonzo Ball scare boosts pressure on UCLA as it faces Cincy at Golden 1 Center."