Brooklyn, NY (Sports Network) - Shabazz Muhammad posted 21 points in his
second game to help the 11th-ranked UCLA Bruins take a 60-56 win over Georgia
in the consolation game of the 2012 Legends Classic.
Playing his second straight game after serving a three-game suspension to
start his freshman season, Muhammad shot 6-for-12 from the field and went 8-
for-11 from the free-throw line while also grabbing four rebounds for the
Bruins (4-1), who dropped their semifinal game to Georgetown on Monday.
"It was obviously an important win to bounce back after a disappointing defeat
last night," UCLA head coach Ben Howland said.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 16 points and pulled down eight rebounds for
the Bulldogs (1-4), who have dropped four straight after opening the season
with a win over Jacksonville.
"We didn't make the plays in the heart of the game that we needed to make,"
Georgia head coach Mark Fox said.
The Bruins trailed by five to start the second half, but opened the frame with
a 12-3 run and held a 37-33 advantage after Muhammad hit two free throws four
minutes in.
Georgia later scored seven straight points with Caldwell-Pope getting the last
five and his 3-ball giving the team a 42-40 advantage with 11 minutes left.
With the game tied at 49-all, Travis Wear gave UCLA the lead with a jumper
and, after a Caldwell-Pope miss on a 3, Jordan Adams drained a bucket for a
four-point lead with under four minutes to play.
Vincent Williams followed with a 3-pointer for Georgia, but the team failed to
score for the next three minutes and UCLA put the contest away at the foul
line.
Georgia held a 22-12 lead after Donte' Williams hit two free throws with eight
minutes to play in the first half.
UCLA, though, scored the final six points of the frame, including a 3-pointer
from Muhammad, to make it a 30-25 game at the break.
GAME NOTES:
UCLA has won all three meetings against Georgia. The last time the two schools
met was in 1993 ... UCLA shot 42.2 percent, while Georgia made 37.3 percent of
its attempts ... UCLA next plays on Sunday at home against Cal Poly.
The Sports Network