First Four: Saint Bonaventure tops UCLA for first NCAA win since 1970

DAYTON, OH - MARCH 13: LaDarien Griffin #15 of the St. Bonaventure Bonnies scores a layup past Alex Olesinski #0 of the UCLA Bruins during the second half of the First Four game in the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 13, 2018 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

DAYTON, OH - MARCH 13: LaDarien Griffin #15 of the St. Bonaventure Bonnies scores a layup past Alex Olesinski #0 of the UCLA Bruins during the second half of the First Four game in the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 13, 2018 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
Sports
By Jeff Gilbert
March 14, 2018
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Courtney Stockard and St. Bonaventure enjoyed their second trip to UD Arena this season much more than their first, a 10-point loss to Dayton.

In the second First Four game Tuesday night, the Bonnies defeated UCLA 65-58 in a battle of No. 11 seeds for their first NCAA Tournament victory since their Final Four run in 1970.

Stockard, a junior college transfer in his first season with the Bonnies, scored 26 points with two 3-pointers on 9-of-20 shooting. He scored nine points against Dayton.

St. Bonaventure (26-7) will play East Region No. 6 Florida at 9:57 p.m. Thursday in Dallas.

Jaylen Adams, the Bonnies’ leading scorer this season, suffered through a bad shooting night. But when his team needed him late he came through. He pulled up at the foul line for a jumper and scored with a defender’s hand in his face to break a 58-58 tie with 49 seconds left. He then made three free throws to seal the win and finish with eight points.

UCLA (21-12) led 51-46 with eight minutes to play, but the Bonnies scored nine straight, five of them by Stockard, to go up 58-51. The Bruins scored the next seven points to tie the score with 1:11 left, but they didn’t score again.

Aaron Holiday led the Bruins with 20 points and Prince Ali added 13.

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Jeff Gilbert