Huskies Make Things Interesting, But Can't Pull the Upset

It was cold outside Alaska Airlines Arena.

Even chillier inside.

Once more the University of Washington basketball team, experiencing one of the worst seasons in program history, didn't come ready to play at tipoff.

The Huskies went down 11-0 before they barely pulled off their sweats.

Ah, but these guys got warm, and then hot, and made things interesting all the way to the end before losing to UCLA 64-61 on Saturday at Alaska Airlines.

It came down to an off-balance Quade Green shot to tie at the buzzer that was off line.

As the losses continue to pile up for this 11th-place UW entry (3-16 overall, 2-12 Pac-12), Husky coach Mike Hopkins has become less and less patient with poor play.

Eighty-four seconds in, he yanked junior Eric Stevenson for a bad pass in favor of Marcus Tsohonis.

Hopkins didn't Stevenson sit down until he gently grabbed the player's head with both hands and shouted encouragement at him in an animated fashion.

Two and a half minutes into the action, the coach sat down senior Hameir Wright, sending a similar message.

Just over three minutes were gone and the score at that daunting 11-0 margin when Hopkins replaced Green with sophomore Cole Bajema.

"I just wanted energy on the floor," Hopkins said. "Sometimes you really need a defibrillator."

As for dealing with Stevenson, the coach said it was a passionate pep talk.

"With a lot of these kids, it's all about confidence," Hopkins said. "Sometimes when a coach takes a player out early, they pout and put their head down. I wanted Erik to know we needed him. When he plays his best, we're at our best. We love him.

"I told him to say whatever he wanted to say to my face."

The coach's hot breath seemed to thaw things out in the otherwise dank, empty arena.

With just two-fifths of his lineup playing, the Huskies responded with their own 11-0 run to tie the score and it was a ballgame again.

After playing man-to-man defense against USC two nights earlier, Hopkins reverted to his zone and he might have had second thoughts about it.

UCLA's Johnny Juzang, a 6-foot-6 sophomore guard and Kentucky transfer like the UW's Green, absolutely destroyed it over the first 20 minutes.

As the Bruins (14-5, 10-3) pulled back in front and took a 26-20 halftime lead, Juzang calmly worked his way around the perimeter for 21 first-half points before he finished with 32. He had 25 against Washington State on Thursday.

"It was Johnny Juzang," Hopkins said. "He put them on his back a little bit."

Shortly before the half, the Husky coach turned up the heat even more when he lost it over a traveling call on Green, which he perceived to be a foul on his guy, and drew a technical foul. He was heard yelling, "Unbelievable!"

Tsohonis found great comfort in his surroundings after the break, scoring all of his team-high 22 points. He hit 7 of 15 shots, 6 of 9 from 3-point range. Now that's hot. This was his fourth 20-plus game, three as a sub.

"It's nothing," he said. "I don't get too big a head. My guys were just looking for me. I was just trying to win the game."

Helped by Tsohonis' three 3-pointers over a minute and 13 seconds in the second half, the Huskies rushed back to tie the game at 34.

Unfortunately Hopkins' guys next gave up an 8-0 run.

Still, they wouldn't go away. The Tsohonis-Green show brought it back to 51-49 with 7:09 left to play and 54-52 with 4:31 remaining.

Tsohonis' corner trey with 2:41 left tied the game for the last time at 57.

Remarkably, for how close it was, the Huskies never led in this game.

UCLA's Jules Bernard missed a shot and was fouled on the put-back. His pair of free throws with 2:18 remaining ultimately put his team ahead for good at 59-57.

Inside the final second, the Huskies trailed 63-60 and Green got fouled with 4.7 seconds left. He hit 1 of 2 free throws. He finished with 14 points, the only other UW player in double figures.

The Bruins' Cody Riley responded with 1 of 2 foul shots, setting the stage for Green's last-gasp 3-pointer that wouldn't drop.

After all those bad losses this season, this was not one of them.

The Huskies play their third game in five days by traveling to Pullman and Washington State on Monday night.

Follow Dan Raley of Husky Maven on Twitter: @DanRaley1 and @HuskyMaven

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