Norman Powell scored a career-high 28 points, making a key three-pointer with 1:34 left, and UCLA grinded out a 72-67 victory over Washington State on Sunday night that gave the Bruins possession of fourth place in the Pac-12 Conference.
Tony Parker had 15 points and 10 rebounds off the bench, having lost his starting spot after he showed up late to the morning shootaround. Bryce Alford added 13 points and Kevon Looney 12.
The Bruins (18-12, 10-7 Pac-12) moved a half-game ahead of Stanford, which lost earlier Sunday, in the conference standings.
UCLA needs to win its last regular-season game against USC to keep one of the top four seeds in the Pac-12 tournament and earn a first-round bye.
The Bruins improved to 15-1 at home, including 8-0 in league games.
Josh Hawkinson had 21 points and 14 rebounds and DaVonte Lacy added 19 points for the Cougars (12-16, 6-10).
Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
