The Bruins may have required an extra helping of spinach against Kentucky center Oscar Tshiebwe, who managed just 8 points but grabbed 16 rebounds and drew seven fouls, and got so little help from his teammates that it conjured up memories of last season’s tournament flameout against St. Peter’s.
It was clear how much the game meant to the Bruins when Jaylen Clark roared after a late breakaway dunk, when Tyger Campbell spiked the ball when the buzzer sounded and when the Bruins high-fived a pocket of their fans as they bounced off the court.
U.C.L.A.’s Jaime Jaquez Jr., who carried his team with 19 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals, had circled the game when the schedule came out, as much for the setting as the opponent.
“The city is amazing,” said Jaquez, who grew up in Camarillo, Calif., but whose only sports memory in a handful of visits to New York was watching one of Mariano Rivera’s final games at Yankee Stadium. “Every time I come is always an adventure.”
Players from far and near seemed to relish the experience.
Just as enthralled was RJ Davis, the North Carolina guard, who grew up north of the city in White Plains, N.Y. He won a state championship at Archbishop Stepinac High School, but playoff games were played at Fordham and St. John’s.
“I couldn’t lose in my own city,” said Davis, who hit four clinching free throws in overtime and a critical 3-pointer among his 21 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. “I’ve loved watching the games here ever since I was a kid; it’s the mecca.”
The day was not without its moments for another pair of locals. Ohio State’s Zed Key, a junior forward from Bay Shore, N.Y., hit a 3-pointer with 30 seconds left to put the Buckeyes ahead. And U.C.L.A.’s Mac Etienne, who grew up in Manhattan, played a useful 13 minutes by picking up five rebounds.
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