It’s a battle of college basketball bluebloods in the bottom half of the Maui Invitational championship bracket, as UCLA, a 77-75 winner over UNLV in Monday’s tournament finale, will face Kansas, a 123-72 winner over Chaminade, in a semifinal at 9 p.m. central time Tuesday night.
Center Thomas Welsh and guard Bryce Alford, the son of UCLA coach Steve Alford, helped lead the Bruins (3-1) past the Runnin’ Rebels.
UCLA shot 46 percent from the floor in the win and held UNLV to 41 percent shooting. The Bruins also out-rebounded the Rebels, 37-34, and won despite committing 19 turnovers while forcing 16.
UCLA played nine players but got just 10 points from its bench in Monday’s victory.
Guard Aaron Holiday added 18 points in 32 minutes for UCLA, which got 58 of its 77 points from three players.
A pair of former KU assistant coaches will wage war in Tuesday’s other semifinal, as Kevin Stallings leads Vanderbilt against the Danny Manning-led Wake Forest Demon Deacons.