Jaylon Tyson scored 16 points, Jalen Celestine 13 and Fardaws Aimaq scored 12 and grabbed 12 rebounds for Cal before fouling out.

Sebastian Mack made 1 of 2 foul shots for the Bruins with four seconds left for a 61-57 advantage. Celestine made a 3-pointer with .1 seconds left that made it a one-point game but the Bruins’ inbounded the ball to end it.

Both teams struggled to shoot as they each missed eight foul shots.

Aimaq’s put back off a Tyson miss gave Cal its last lead at 57-56 with 36 seconds remaining. Andrews’ jumper 12 seconds later gave UCLA the lead for good.

UCLA led 35-24 at halftime and it maintained the double-digit lead for the first six minutes of the second half before Cal got back into contention.

The Golden Bears outscored UCLA 12-6 and got within 47-41 on a layup from Tyson with 10:08 left. Berke Buyuktuncel made a 3 for UCLA for a nine-point lead before Cal scored eight straight reducing its deficit to 50-49 following a 3 from Celestine with 5:55 left. The score stayed that way until Tyson’s basket with 3:05 left gave Cal its first lead since four minutes into the game.

With the win, the Bruins (13-11, 8-5 Pac-12) moved into a third-place tie with Oregon. UCLA hosts Colorado on Thursday.

Cal (10-14, 6-7) travels to Pullman, Washington, to take on Washington State on Thursday.

LOS ANGELES — The UCLA women’s basketball team got a career effort from a reserve on a night when a key player returned to the lineup.

Gabriela Jaquez had 21 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, Kiki Rice scored 20 points and the ninth-ranked Bruins defeated Arizona, 66-58, on Friday night at Pauley Pavilion as Lauren Betts returned to the lineup after a four-game absence.

Rice shot 9 for 12 from the field and scored 10 of her points in the first quarter, while Jaquez scored 10 points in the third quarter. Rice shot 75% but UCLA’s four other starters were a combined 4 for 24. Jaquez was 8 for 15 shooting off the bench.

UCLA (18-4 overall, 7-4 Pac-12) led 31-28 at halftime and 48-43 after three quarters and always seemed to have an answer for Arizona (12-11, 4-7).

“We were doing good taking advantage of what was given to us,” Rice said. “I think we had really good ball movement and we recognized who the hot hand was and our defense was leading to offense. And a lot of that was getting those easy reads and lead to points.”

The Bruins went on a 9-0 run in the third quarter to take a 40-32 lead. When Arizona pulled within three points at 52-49 in the fourth, the Bruins went on a 7-0 run to extend their lead to 59-49.

Betts returned to the lineup after missing time for an undisclosed medical reason. The Bruins were 2-2 without the 6-foot-7 center, who didn’t start Friday but entered the game in the first quarter.

Betts, who has the nation’s best field-goal percentage at 68.3% and was averaging more than 15 points per game, scored her first basket in her return on a 6-footer off the glass in the second quarter and finished with six points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots in 27 minutes.

UCLA had a short bench with Angela Dugalic and Lina Sontag playing in the women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Brazil this weekend. Dugalic is playing for Serbia and Sontag for Germany.

“It’s huge,” UCLA coach Cori Close said of Betts’ return. “Obviously even more huge because we’re missing Lina and Angela.

“I think more than that is her spirit. Everyone was talking about that in practice yesterday. It’s not that she’s just a really good player, it’s her energy and spirit for the sake of the team and that was really missed. We’re thrilled to have her back.”

The Bruins, who are third in the country in offensive rebound percentage, had 18 offensive rebounds with Betts grabbing four of them.

Esmery Martinez scored 15 points for Arizona, which was without four players. Kailyn Gilbert added 14 points.

The Wildcats had 20 turnovers.

“Offensive rebounds and turnovers really hurt us,” Arizona coach Adia Barnes said. “We had a lot of turnovers in the third quarter that led to transition baskets and those are daggers.”

BIG PICTURE

Arizona: The Wildcats are hanging tough in the middle of the pack in the top-heavy Pac-12. If they can make the NCAA Tournament – and the conference will undoubtedly send many teams – the high level of competition should prove beneficial.

UCLA: The outlook looks bright with Betts back.

UP NEXT

UCLA hosts Arizona State on Sunday at noon.

While frustrated UCLA fans might be reveling in the news, significant challenges lie ahead. Jarmond asked the players for a 96-hour window before making any decisions to transfer from the university following Kelly’s departure. That window would end Tuesday.

The university is looking for a person, Jarmond said, who has the qualities of a CEO and will “embrace all aspects of a successful program” under today’s college football landscape, which is spearheaded by roster management, success on the field, recruiting, NIL and maintaining relationships with donors off the field.

Jarmond also mentioned the players’ desire, after meeting with them Friday, to have a coach to replace the 60-year-old Kelly – who was named offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Ohio State – who can relate to them not only as a football player but as young men off the field.

Here’s a list of potential candidates for the UCLA football program:

D’Anton Lynn

Lynn, 34, helped turn the Bruins’ defense around in 2023 before leaving to become the defensive coordinator at crosstown rival USC. The Bruins finished as a top-10 defense this past season, allowing 301.5 yards per game. Standout Laiatu Latu and the defensive line also helped produce a rush defense that ranked second in the country after allowing just 80.5 yards per game. UCLA lost two of its top two secondary players, who followed Lynn to USC, but a quick return to Westwood could help keep most of the current roster intact.

Tony White

The UCLA alumnus’ name could be one to keep an eye on. White, 44, spent the past year as Nebraska’s associate head coach and defensive coordinator. He started his college coaching career as a graduate assistant for football operations at UCLA in 2007. Part of his duties included recruiting administration. White’s latest recruit was edge rusher Keona Wilhite, who chose Nebraska over UCLA this week.

DeShaun Foster

The former All-American running back returned to his alma mater to join the coaching staff in 2017. Foster, 44, helped develop several players, having a running back drafted in each of the past four years. The Tustin High alum left UCLA this month to take a job with the Las Vegas Raiders, but players have been outspoken on social media about potentially bringing him back as their next head coach.

David Shaw

The former Stanford head coach might be a long shot but he’s become familiar with the Bruins after his son, Carter Shaw, walked on as a receiver for the 2023 season. David Shaw, 51, has been spotted at the Bruins’ games and practices. While he took the past year off from coaching, he might look to get back on the sidelines after recently interviewing for the Chargers and Tennessee Titans’ head coaching jobs.

Ikaika Malloe

Malloe was elevated to defensive coordinator in early January after spending the past two seasons working with the defensive line. He helped rally the Bruins in the second half in his first glimpse as the interim defensive coordinator for the LA Bowl. Malloe, 49, could be considered if the Bruins want to help keep members of the current roster intact. Former UCLA edge rusher Carl Jones Jr. spoke highly of Malloe’s energy and passion since his arrival in Westwood.

Eric Bieniemy

The former Bishop Amat star running back was relieved of his duties as the Washington Commanders’ offensive coordinator after the team fired head coach Ron Rivera. Bieniemy, 54, is no stranger to Westwood, having served as a running backs coach and recruiting coordinator from 2003-2005. Bieniemy made a name for himself in recent years as the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs.

P.J. Fleck

The Minnesota coach, 43, is considered a high-energy program builder who would certainly seem like a dramatic personality shift. A former NFL assistant, he led Western Michigan to the Cotton Bowl to cap a 13-0 season in 2016 and parlayed that into his current job, where he has led the Golden Gophers to at least nine wins three times with bowl appearances in five out of seven seasons. He guided Minnesota to the Big Ten title game in 2019 and certainly knows the Big Ten landscape.

Brennan Marion

Marion spent the past season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at UNLV under coach Barry Odom. Marion, 36, falls in line with the players’ request for a younger and more relatable coach. Marion has been held in high regard as an assistant and for his innovative ideas on offense. He was previously the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach at Texas in 2022.

Chris Petersen

Petersen, 59, stepped down as Washington’s head coach in 2019 and has since served as a studio analyst for Fox Sports. After going 92-12 in eight seasons at Boise State and 55-26 in six seasons coaching the Huskies, Petersen is familiar with California’s college football scene, having recruited the area throughout his coaching career.

But sometimes they leave – and Chip Kelly is outta here.

And the marching band plays “Hallelujah.”

Fed-up Bruins fans were fired up Friday when they learned that Kelly had finally found an out after weeks of less-than-secretive interviews elsewhere.

Kelly’s UCLA tenure was capped by a win in the L.A. Bowl, but before that, by late-season losses to Arizona, Arizona State and Cal. By five-star freshman quarterback Dante Moore’s transfer to Oregon. By an exodus of coaches, including first-year star defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn to USC. Also, by much of the Bruins fan base making it clear Kelly wasn’t wanted, including flying a banner plane over practice indicating as much.

Plane flying over Wasserman Center with a banner that reads: Read The Room: Fire Chip Kelly. pic.twitter.com/Jet0YtHYLs

— Bruin Report Online (@BruinReport) November 28, 2023

In the end, he accepted a demotion in the form of the offensive coordinator position at Ohio State, walking away from a $6 million salary to coach under his longtime pal Ryan Day.

And how thrilled were Bruins supporters by the news? So very, even though Kelly’s departure comes at a rotten time, just months – actually 174 days, according to Athletic Director Martin Jarmond’s countdown – before the Bruins’ first foray into the Big Ten.

How thrilled? Incredibly, never mind that it’s finally happening as the coaching candidate carousel has slowed to a crawl, Kelly’s eventual repayment for the public support shown to him by Jarmond and other UCLA decision-makers.

How enthused? Mightily, never mind how poorly it portrays UCLA’s football program or the fact that every Bruins player will now have a 30-day window, regardless of transfer history, to consider bolting for what he believes could be a better situation.

Take all those issues into account and still, UCLA fans are elated to be moving on. That’s how much they didn’t like the guy who failed to inspire them in his six seasons, winning when he really had to (say, that 38-20 victory over the Trojans in November), but not nearly often enough otherwise, finishing a mediocre 35-34 overall and leaving the Bruins the worst-ranked recruiting class in program history as a parting gift.

Elated, and annoyed. Because better-late-than-never and what-took-you-so-long are different sides of the same coin.

There is this: Instead of paying Kelly the reported $8.5 million buyout had they fired him before the end of last year, or a $4.5 million buyout this year, he’ll owe UCLA $1.5 million – to be covered, reportedly, by Ohio State.

That, at least, is some good news if you’re an athletic department that’s reportedly posted a $36.6 million deficit, according to the L.A. Times.

Jarmond insisted that there would be more good news soon. On a Zoom call with reporters on Friday afternoon, he promised to move swiftly in naming a new head coach, ideally on a permanent basis but possibly in the interim, and said he asked players to give him 96 hours to identify a new leader before they make any decisions about their college playing careers.

It helped, actually, that Kelly was flirting openly with other jobs; it allowed Jarmond a head start: After reports that Kelly interviewed to be the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, the Las Vegas Raiders and the Washington Commanders, no, Jarmond said, “we were not caught off guard. We were ready and we’re prepared.”

Even though so many potentially viable candidates are off the board already – including Oregon State’s Jonathan Smith, a Pasadena native, who landed at Michigan State; Jedd Fisch, who went from Arizona to Washington, and San Jose State’s Brent Brennan, a former Bruin, who took Fisch’s place – Jarmond at least had a search party assembled and a checklist drawn up when Kelly called him Friday morning to resign.

UCLA’s wanted ad, as Jarmond described it, would read like this:

Bruins Head Football Coach Job Description

We are looking for a passionate and energetic head coach who can relate with players and function as a modern college athletics CEO. In this position, you will lead UCLA football into the Big Ten Conference while enhancing the program’s NIL fundraising portfolio and developing young men into leaders.

Requirements and qualifications

• Integrity

• Fundraising

• Recruiting

• Compete hungrily

• Respect and appreciate those “four letters” (UCLA)

• Head coaching experience not necessary

• Relate with athletes

The athletes added that last part, but let me add some of my own.

• undaunted

• miracle-worker

Because another way one might read Kelly’s departure is as a sign that UCLA is going to have a heck of a time competing with its new Big Ten brethren.

The Bruins almost certainly will be at a fundraising disadvantage against programs with larger and more rabid fan bases, that support so crucial in this constantly shifting modern era of college sports. The Bruins also will have to travel farther. And their home games at the Rose Bowl are probably going to feel like road games a lot of the time.

Oh, and they’ll have to overcome all of that while playing catchup on account of the current predicament – while satisfying fans who have made it clear: They won’t take .500 for an answer.

But, hey, there is talent abound in Southern California. And the weather is (usually) good here, if you can tolerate some earthquaking.

And somewhere out there is a football coach who thinks all of that sounds awesome, who will see it as a super opportunity, a ladder to new heights. Jarmond is sure of it.

“When you have chaos, there’s an opportunity to move forward and lead, and that’s what we’re going to do,” he said. “The one thing I do know is this is a great place. UCLA is a great opportunity. Those young men are unbelievable and this is a great time for us and our program as we get ready to enter the Big Ten.”

After six seasons in Westwood, Kelly was hired away to become Ohio State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach on Friday evening.

The veteran head coach was said to be emotional while talking with players during a meeting Friday as he explained his decision to leave. An interim coach has not been named.

UCLA has started a national search for a new head coach. Athletic Director Martin Jarmond has asked the players for a 96-hour window before making any decisions to transfer from the university.

“Timing is a challenge,” Jarmond said. “I’ll be honest, timing is a challenge, but any time you go through a change or a search, there’s never a good time. That’s life. So we aren’t going to focus on that, we’re going to focus on doing what we need to do to get the next leader of this program.”

Erin Adkins, Christina Munger-Rivera and Josh Rebholz are among the executive team members who will assist Jarmond with the coaching search.

The athletic director told reporters that the university was not caught off guard and was ready to move forward with its coaching search after he received a call from Kelly on Friday morning about his intentions to leave his post. Kelly had interviewed for multiple NFL offensive coordinator jobs over the last two weeks.

Jarmond also expressed confidence that the university will do well with its search for the next head coach, despite being the only program in the sport that will have a search going on while the bulk of the college coaching job cycle already settled down.

The roster could take a significant hit with all players now having a 30-day window to transfer out of the school and find another university to continue their careers, but with the timing of the opening, the players could also be faced with limited options. The Bruins were expecting to see several players return for the 2024 season, including quarterback Ethan Garbers, receiver J.Michael Sturdivant and linebacker Kain Medrano among others.

The Bruins will join the Big Ten Conference for the 2024 season with an unfavorable schedule that features a nonconference game against LSU before playing Oregon, Penn State, Washington and USC and now they have a vacancy at the top just as programs are beginning to gear up for spring practices.

Several UCLA running backs, including starting running back TJ Harden, have shared posts on social media asking for DeShaun Foster to become the head coach.

Foster is a former player and running backs coach for the program, who took a job as the Las Vegas Raiders’ running backs coach earlier this month. He was promoted to associate head coach before the 2023 season by Kelly.

“The qualities I’m looking for: First, we want a person of integrity. We do things the right way here at UCLA. We don’t cut corners. We do it right,” Jarmond explained. “This is a tough job being a football head coach, nowadays in this world you need a CEO who embraces all aspects of a successful program. That’s NIL. That’s recruiting. That’s donor relations. That’s the development of young people. It’s all of that.”

Jarmond stated he spoke to the players soon after the coach did and mentioned that the program’s culture is important and that the players share similar qualities they look for in their next coach.

“One of the things that the young men mentioned was they wanted someone that can relate to them,” Jarmond said. “That relates to them not only as a football player, but a young man off the field. They want someone that they can talk to and connect with. That’s important to them.”

Jarmond also confirmed that Kelly must pay UCLA a $1.5 million buyout. Kelly’s decision to pursue an opportunity at Ohio State will reunite him with head coach Ryan Day and Justin Frye, the associate head coach for the offense.

Day hired former Houston Texans coach Bill O’Brien as offensive coordinator last month, but O’Brien is now heading to Boston College to become the Eagles’ head coach.

Day played quarterback at New Hampshire with Kelly as his offensive coordinator from 1999 to 2001. Kelly went on to become the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and hired Day as his quarterbacks coach in 2015. Day also followed Kelly to San Francisco where both held the same positions for the 49ers. Day and Kelly were on a golf course together when they found out that the Bruins would be joining the Big Ten in June 2022.

“We are extremely excited to have Chip and his wife, Jill, joining our program,” Day said in a statement. “His experience as a head coach at Oregon, UCLA and in the NFL will bring immediate value to our entire team. I am really looking forward to reconnecting with Chip, introducing him to our staff and team and chasing a championship together.”

Frye was Kelly’s offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at UCLA before leaving for a job with the Buckeyes in 2022.

Kelly finishes his UCLA tenure with a 35-34 overall record (26-26 in Pac-12 play). The Bruins were 6-12 against teams ranked in the Top 25 with Kelly at the helm and were bowl-eligible just three times during his tenure.

“Can’t thank Coach Kelly enough for taking a shot on a tall, skinny walk-on receiver,” UCLA tight end Hudson Habermehl posted on social media. “Congrats on the new beginning. Forever thankful for all you have done for me!”

The Bruins (8-5 overall, 4-5 Pac-12) finished the 2023 regular season losing three of their last four conference games, with the only victory coming in a rout of crosstown rival USC. In December, the Bruins used a strong third-quarter effort to beat Boise State in the LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium. There was speculation late in the regular season that UCLA might move on from Kelly, but the school stood pat.

Instead, it was Kelly who started looking for other options, finally making the unorthodox move of giving up a Power Five head coaching job to become coordinator at another Power Five school.

Kelly is one of the godfathers of the up-tempo, spread offense that dominated college football in the early 2010s. He became Oregon’s coach in 2009 and went 46-7 over four years before jumping to the NFL. He went 26-21 in a little less than three full seasons (2013-15) in Philadelphia and then spent one season as coach of the 49ers, going 2-14.

Kelly took over at UCLA after Jim Mora Jr. was fired in 2017 and had a roster predominantly filled with underclassmen his first two seasons.

It was a slow build. Kelly started with three straight losing seasons at UCLA before finally turning it around in 2021 and going 8-4. The Bruins went 25-13 over the past three seasons, but they could never crack nine wins and tended to fade late in the season.

They were expected to contend for a spot in the Pac-12 championship game last season, especially since they didn’t have to face Washington and Oregon. Under coordinator D’Anton Lynn, UCLA put together one of the best defensive seasons in school history as it led the nation in stopping the run. But Lynn was in Westwood for only one season before jumping to rival USC.

The coaching search begins while the university continues its search for a new chancellor. Gene Block has served as UCLA’s chancellor since 2007 but is set to retire at the end of the 2023-2024 academic year.

In recent months, other college football programs, such as Washington and Arizona, also dealt with sudden coaching changes and managed to quickly hire their next coaches.

UCLA will be asked to do the same to provide a sense of direction for the players and staff that remain in Westwood.

“We’re looking for a leader, permanently for our program,” Jarmond said. “I told the team to give us 96 hours. Could be earlier, could be later. But we’re going to move fast. That’s the priority.”

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

The Bruins, who have won six of their last seven games, will be seeking redemption after losing to Cal, 66-57, on Jan. 6 at Pauley Pavilion. Since that loss, UCLA is 6-2 and has moved ahead of Cal in the Pac-12 standings, into a tie for fourth place with Colorado. A top-four finish would provide UCLA a coveted bye into the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 tournament next month in Las Vegas.

Here’s what you need to know about the key Pac-12 matchup:

UCLA AT CAL

When: Saturday, 2:30 p.m.

Where: Haas Pavilion, Berkeley

TV/Radio: FOX (Ch. 11)/1150 AM

Records: UCLA is 12-11 overall, 7-5 in Pac-12 play; Cal is 10-10, 6-6

UCLA’s latest result: The Bruins are coming off an 82-74 victory at Stanford on Wednesday, their highest scoring output this season. Freshman guard Sebastian Mack, the team’s leading scorer this season, finished with a game-high 21 points, shooting 4 for 7 from 3-point range. UCLA made a season-high 11 3-pointers at a 44% clip on 25 attempts. Five Bruins joined Mack in scoring in double-figures: sophomore forward Adem Bona (16 points, eight rebounds), sophomore guard Dylan Andrews (13 points, four assists), sophomore guard Will McClendon (career-high 13 points), and junior guard Lazar Stefanovic (10 points, seven rebounds).

Cal’s latest result: The Golden Bears blew a 16-point lead in the second half at home but regrouped to pull out an 83-77 overtime victory against USC on Wednesday. Cal had four players score in double figures. Junior guard Jaylon Tyson had a double-double with a game-high 27 points and 11 rebounds. Senior guard Jalen Cone scored 20 points. Senior forward Fardaws Aimaq had a double-double with 15 points and a game-high 20 rebounds. Junior guard Jalen Celestine netted six of his 11 points in overtime.

Matchups to watch: Bona vs. Aimaq, in particular when it comes to rebounding. The 6-foot-11 Aimaq led the Golden Bears with 20 rebounds, including eight on the offensive end against USC, as Cal outrebounded USC 54-27. By comparison, the Bruins outrebounded USC 43-29 on Jan. 27, a sizable part of their 65-50 crosstown victory that began the team’s current four-game winning streak. Throughout the season, rebounding has been a collective effort for UCLA, led by the 6-foot-10 Bona and the 6-7 Stefanovic.

UCLA trends to watch: The Bruins will play three of their last eight regular-season games on the road, including Saturday’s game at Cal. UCLA is 4-4 in true road games this season.

Meanwhile, the defense has been the heart of the Bruins’ identity during the five-year tenure of Coach Mick Cronin. UCLA is 10-3 this season when holding its opponents to less than 65 points.

Nya Reed is one of them. She’s assumed a role in the matriarchy, even though it’s her first year with the Bruins as a graduate transfer from Florida. She’s helping No. 8 UCLA rise not just with her leadership, but also with her scores.

The Bruins, with Reed’s help, have the chance to continue to rise with a meet at No. 18 Oregon State on Friday night.

“I am being that person that I wish I would have had in my undergrad experience,” Reed said. “I’m just trying to be the best person that I possibly can be and just be there for them. It’s been very, very exciting to be able to come to a new team and kind of just step up and do what really needs to be done.”

UCLA struggled on vault last season and was seeking ways to boost its scores when Reed reached out to the Bruins in an offseason email.

She had stepped away from gymnastics for a year for an undisclosed reason while continuing to pursue an undergrad degree in Applied Physiology & Kinesiology but earned All-America first-team honors in floor exercise and second-team recognition in vault in her senior year.

“Knowing her success that she had had on vault and floor in particular,” Coach Janelle McDonald said. “I thought she was someone that could really be the puzzle piece of what we were putting together.”

After calls with McDonald and BJ Das, the Bruins’ floor choreographer, and an official visit to UCLA, bringing Reed to Westwood was a unanimous decision.

It paid off in UCLA’s victory over Arizona on Sunday. Reed tied for first on the floor with a 9.95. She also scored a season-high 9.950 on vault with her Yurchenko one and a half, which has a 10.0 start value, to win the event.

Her efforts earned her Pac-12 Specialist of the Week honors and helped the Bruins surpass a 198 team score for the first time this season. She now ranks ninth in the nation in average floor score.

“My first couple of meets were not the best, but I literally came back after the last home meet and just dialed in on landings,” Reed said after the meet. “We did so many vault landings it was ridiculous. My goal was to stick five vault landings every single day about this and that’s really what I did.”

Floor exercise has also been a journey for Reed. She was confused when Das planned a routine with two tumbling passes for her – she had always had three-pass routines leading up to this point. Das assured her that the dance choreography would take up a lot of energy and justify the decision.

“I did my first routine and I was like, I am literally so tired,” Reed said with a laugh. “I am so exhausted. My chest is cold. I cannot breathe. I can’t even think about doing a three-pass right now.”

Reed’s floor routine draws on her involvement with Delta Sigma Theta, a sorority that is one of nine Black Greek organizations under the National Pan-Hellenic Council. The music includes the Baltimore Bounce – a tribute to her DMV hometown area – as well as HBCU music, which she chose to raise awareness for the lack of gymnastics programs at HBCUs.

UCLA is ranked No. 2 in the country alongside Oklahoma in terms of average event score on floor (49.530) and No. 5 in vault (49.335). Reed has said that she thinks the Bruins can get to No. 1 in vault, and her belief has been infectious even beyond the event.

“She sees what we are capable of,” junior Emma Malabuyo said. “That pushes us. We want to be better when we see it in her and she kind of gives us this energy of like no guys, we’re that team.”

Reed might not be at UCLA for long, but her presence could exceed the length of her stay.

No. 8 UCLA AT No. 18 OREGON STATE

When: Friday, 8 p.m.

Where: Gill Coliseum, Corvallis, Ore.

TV: Pac-12 Oregon

Turns out, the feeling might be mutual: It seems Kelly wants nothing to do with UCLA.

He reportedly is pursuing job opportunities in the NFL and, perhaps, elsewhere in major college football. But in a highly unusual development, none of those opportunities constitute upward moves. In fact, they aren’t even lateral.

If the barrage of media reports is to be believed, Kelly is so tired of UCLA that he’s willing to become an offensive coordinator in the NFL or, potentially, a playcaller in the Big Ten.

Not all the reports linking Kelly to coordinator openings in the NFL (Commanders, Raiders) have been confirmed, and he hasn’t uttered a public peep about the situation. But at least one link is legitimate: An interview with the Seahawks to join new coach Mike Macdonald’s staff as the offensive playcaller.

And if Ohio State offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien fills the head coaching vacancy at Boston College, as many expect, Kelly could become a top candidate in Columbus to coach under Ryan Day, his former player (at New Hampshire).

In other words, a Big Ten-bound head coach making $6 million annually (approximately) would abdicate his position for a lesser role and lower compensation. And he’s making no secret of it, for the situation is playing out publicly on a daily basis.

Kelly is different. He has always been different. He was into hydration methods and sleep study and geo-tracking long before his coaching peers. But even for Kelly, this is bananas — not to mention an embarrassment for everyone involved.

Not to worry. The Hotline is here to help decipher a development that traces its roots to the first month of Kelly’s first season.

September 2018 feels like an eternity ago. The world was unaware of a wet market in Wuhan, China. All was quiet on the realignment front. The transfer portal didn’t exist. NIL was years from implementation.

But UCLA fans undoubtedly can recount every Saturday of the month, because their team was winless. Yep, 0-4. The Bruins lost on the first Saturday of October, as well, and finished the season 3-9. The enthusiasm that accompanied Kelly’s arrival the previous winter vanished instantly and, for many, was never rekindled.

Kelly eventually hauled UCLA to the high side of .500, posting three consecutive years of at least eight wins. The administration offered a contract extension following the 2021 season and then again after 2022, with the latter smartly featuring terms that were school-friendly.

Last season, the Bruins started fast but slogged through conference play and suffered desultory home losses to Arizona State and Cal. They did, however, hammer USC.

Kelly’s job security was a hot topic for a few weeks in November. But UCLA has never been that school — the school that axes its coach after winning eight games and bashing its rival. Especially when the eight-win season immediately follows a nine-win season.

Also, UCLA would have owed Kelly an $8 million buyout (approximately). And if you know anything about the state of the athletic department’s finances — the Bruins have tens of millions in accumulated debt — or the state of chancellor Gene Block’s mind, you know that’s $8 million the school wasn’t going to spend.

So the Bruins cast their gaze to the 2024 season and life in the Big Ten. Kelly did the same. And in our view, that’s where the situation turned tenuous.

UCLA should have a fairly potent offense with quarterback Ethan Garbers and several top playmakers returning. But the defense must be rebuilt under a new coordinator after D’Anton Lynn skipped across town to join USC’s staff.

Also, the 2024 schedule is brutal. The Bruins play Hawaii, LSU, Penn State, Rutgers, Nebraska and Washington on the road — that’s 25,000 travel miles, or more than one trip around the world at the equator. (On the bright side, it’s only one-tenth of the way to the moon.)

And the home schedule isn’t exactly soft with Iowa, USC and Oregon.

So next year … the first year in the Big Ten … the big year … could be challenging.

What if the Bruins regress? Let’s say they finish 7-5, or 6-6. What then?

Well, two things happen: First, Kelly’s buyout drops to $4 million (approx.); second, a new boss arrives.

Block is stepping down this summer after 17 years leading the campus. There’s a good chance the next chancellor will take a more favorable view of football and zero chance the next chancellor will take a lesser view of football.

Which means the financial calculation should swing in UCLA’s favor, with Kelly’s reduced buyout and the freedom to offer a competitive salary for an established coach.

Kelly knows all that, as does his agent, Jimmy Sexton. And they are undoubtedly peering into the 2024 cauldron:

— It will be a grind, not only on the field but at the 35,000-foot cruising altitude.

— The contractual leverage will shift to UCLA, and away from Kelly.

— The external issues making program management so challenging for head coaches (e.g., NIL and the transfer portal) aren’t going anywhere.

All of which adds up to Kelly exploring his options, staying one step ahead of the termination papers.

The strategy makes sense, but the execution has been all wrong. The public nature of Kelly’s job pursuits has created an awkward situation. And it could make life exceedingly difficult if he returns to Westwood for the 2024 season.

What will he tell the assistant coaches? How will he explain his wandering eye to the players? How much credibility will he have in the locker room and on the sideline? Any UCLA fans who weren’t previously disenchanted with Kelly will assuredly sour.

What’s stopping athletic director Martin Jarmond from firing Kelly today, swallowing the buyout — it’s modest in size for the richest Power Five schools but steep for UCLA — and naming an interim coach for 2024?

He would need approval from Block, whose indifference is likely exacerbated by his pending retirement.

Also, the list of replacements isn’t nearly as strong now as it might be next winter with a new chancellor and, potentially, more resources.

Then again, let’s not discount the possibility that Kelly is, in fact, deeply committed to coaching UCLA next fall and the awkward situation is merely an agent-fueled campaign to force UCLA’s hand and wrangle more security for Kelly in advance of a daunting season.

That scenario doesn’t seem likely. But at this point, we are long past surprises in the curious, confounding case of Chip Kelly v. UCLA.

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The 6-foot-7 center is still day-to-day due to an undisclosed medical reason, according to Coach Cori Close, adding to a list of Bruin absences for UCLA’s home games against Arizona on Friday and Arizona State on Sunday.

“I’m not playing a media-holding-back thing,” Close said during a Zoom call with reporters Wednesday. “It is day-to-day. I really don’t know the answer to that in terms of a timetable, but she is day-to-day.”

Betts, a sophomore transfer from Stanford, has now missed the last four games, including UCLA’s lopsided loss to Stanford on Sunday. She was averaging 15.4 points per game and 8.6 rebounds per game.

Betts’ absence adds to an already shrinking bench, especially when it comes to size. UCLA lost 6-4 senior forward Emily Bessoir after one game this season due to a reinjured ACL. The program also announced the retirement of 6-4 senior forward Izzy Anstey, an Australian forward who dealt with multiple injuries in her career. She will remain with the team for the rest of the season, according to a statement from UCLA.

Two other Bruins will miss this weekend’s games. Senior Angela Dugalić and sophomore Lina Sontag will be competing at the FIBA 2024 Olympic Qualifying Tournament this weekend in Belém, Brazil. The 6-4 Dugalić will play for the Serbian national team and the 6-3 Sontag will be representing the German national team.

Close, who has dealt with shortened benches before, said Wednesday that overcoming mental fatigue will be an important factor in this weekend’s games.

“These players are hard workers,” Close said. “I honestly think we had to get past the mental and emotional fatigue more so than anything else. We played our hardest basketball on Sunday in the last three minutes when you should be, technically, the most fatigued.”

The Bruins are preparing for an Arizona team that presses a lot, which Close said will force UCLA to be deliberate in matchups and rotating players.

Sophomore Christeen Iwuala and 6-4 freshman Amanda Muse could find themselves in that rotation this weekend. Both players have been slowly getting more playing time since Betts’ first absence.

The 6-2 Iwuala contributed eight points against Stanford – her most since the Hawaii game on Dec. 21 – but Close wants her to be even more aggressive on defense.

“The place I’m really challenging her on is her post defense and ball-screen defense,” Close said. “For her to walk into the opportunity at the highest level, that’s where we need to see the biggest jump from her and I know that’s what she wants it as well.”

Cam Brown and Gabriela Jaquez will play multiple positions in this weekend’s games to make up for the Bruins’ absences. Kiki Rice and Charisma Osborne will work to compensate for the offensive loss of Betts, whose height came in handy close to the rim.

The pair have worked to find the best spots to create their own offense and play off each other in the process.

“Before, we haven’t had as many opportunities,” Rice said. “Charisma and I, we haven’t had to actually figure out how to do it as much. But now over these past few games and however long we need to, I think there’s going to be playing off each other and making it easier for each other.”

Close said she wants those behaviors to continue even after Betts returns for UCLA to make a deep postseason run. Betts is valuable, but so is the trust the Bruins have in one another.

“We’re gonna have to like weather the storms,” Rice said. “I think this week has been a really good opportunity for us to go back to what we committed to at the beginning of the year and why we’re doing this. And go back to why we love to play with each other and for this school.”

ARIZONA AT No. 9 UCLA

When: Friday, 8 p.m.

Where: Pauley Pavilion

TV: Pac-12 Network

Arizona State at No. 9 UCLA

When: Sunday, noon

Where: Pauley Pavilion

TV: Pac-12 Network

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  UCLA guard Sebastian Mack, left, celebrates with guard Dylan Andrews during the second half of their game against Stanford on Wednesday night at Stanford. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

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  UCLA guard Dylan Andrews, left, reaches for the ball over Stanford guard Benny Gealer during the first half on Wednesday night at Stanford. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

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  Stanford guard Kanaan Carlyle, right, goes up for a shot as UCLA guard Dylan Andrews defends during the first half on Wednesday night at Stanford. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

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  UCLA coach Mick Cronin, left, gestures while talking to guard Lazar Stefanovic during the first half of their game against Stanford on Wednesday night at Stanford. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

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  UCLA forward Adem Bona, middle, drives to the basket between Stanford forward Maxime Raynaud, left, and forward Brandon Angel during the first half on Wednesday night at Stanford. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

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  Stanford guard Andrej Stojakovic dunks during the first half of their game against UCLA on Wednesday night at Stanford. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

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  UCLA coach Mick Cronin calls out to his players during the first half of their game against Stanford on Wednesday night at Stanford. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

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  UCLA center Aday Mara, right, blocks a shot by Stanford forward James Keefe during the first half on Wednesday night at Stanford. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

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  UCLA forward Adem Bona (3) is fouled by Stanford forward Spencer Jones, left, during the first half on Wednesday night at Stanford. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

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  Stanford head coach Jerod Haase watches from the sidelines during the first half of their game against UCLA on Wednesday night at Stanford. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

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  UCLA guard Sebastian Mack, center, shoots as Stanford guard Kanaan Carlyle, left, and forward Maxime Raynaud defend during the second half on Wednesday night at Stanford. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

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  UCLA forward Adem Bona, left, flexes after scoring next to guard Brandon Williams, middle, and Stanford guard Benny Gealer, right, during the second half on Wednesday night at Stanford. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

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  Stanford forward Spencer Jones, left, pulls on the jersey of UCLA guard Sebastian Mack as they pursue a loose ball during the second half on Wednesday night at Stanford. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

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  UCLA guard Dylan Andrews gets to the basket for a layup during the second half of their game against Stanford on Wednesday night at Stanford. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

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  Stanford forward Spencer Jones grabs a loose ball between UCLA forward Adem Bona, left, and guard Sebastian Mack during the second half on Wednesday night at Stanford. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

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  Stanford forward Maxime Raynaud, left, reacts while walking up the court with forward Spencer Jones (14) and forward Brandon Angel, right, during the second half of their game against UCLA on Wednesday night at Stanford. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

STANFORD — UCLA is working its way up the Pac-12 standings, and the reward could be a top-four seed in next month’s conference tournament.

Sebastian Mack scored 21 points, Adem Bona had 16 points and eight rebounds, and UCLA beat Stanford, 82-74, on Wednesday night for its fourth straight victory and sixth in the past seven games.

UCLA (12-11 overall, 7-5 Pac-12) moved ahead of Stanford (11-11, 6-6) in the quest for a top-four seed in the Pac-12 Tournament, which comes with a bye into the quarterfinals.

UCLA got contributions from up and down its lineup, perhaps none more timely than Kenneth Nwuba poking the ball away from Stanford’s Maxime Raynaud under the basket with a five-point lead and less than two minutes left. Brandon Williams corraled the loose ball, which led to a Bona layup at the other end for a 74-67 lead with 1:38 remaining.

“Alert and aware is what we try to talk about on defense, especially when you’re playing a team that’s so tricky on offense,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said. “You have to be alert and aware and try to get your hand on the ball, because they can confuse you pretty easily. Kenny was really alert and aware on that play, got his hand in.

“You have to get contributions from guys. I’m happy for those guys because they put a lot of time in, and practice just as much as the guys that play more minutes.”

Raynaud made just one of four free-throw attempts during a 40-second stretch with less than two minutes remaining. The Bruins sealed it by making eight consecutive free throws in the final 40 seconds.

UCLA went 23 for 30 from the free-throw line compared to Stanford’s 17 attempts.

Will McClendon scored a career-high 13 points and Dylan Andrews also scored 13 for UCLA. Lazar Stefanovic added 10 points. Bona fouled out with 49.1 seconds left.

Mack scored 12 points in the first half to help UCLA take a 35-33 lead into the intermission. Stanford shot 52% from the field but turned it over eight times. Five of UCLA’s 12 field goals were from 3-point range.

The Bruins, who entered the game shooting 32% from 3-point range, made a season-high 11 3-pointers on 25 attempts. UCLA’s 10th 3-pointer came with 8:54 remaining for a 57-53 lead.

“We’ve definitely grown offensively,” Cronin said. “We’ve got an identity with who our shooters are. We’re looking to throw the ball to Adem, Dylan off the pick-and-roll. So, we’ve developed an offensive identity, and I just think we’ve learned to play hard the whole game.”

UCLA was also largely successful defending Stanford’s shooters, holding the Cardinal to a 4-for-17 showing (23.5%) from behind the arc.

“We knew one of their strengths is making triples, they have two great shooters in Michael Jones and Spencer Jones,” Bona said. “We know if we take their shot away and make them do something else to make them go to the second option we will be successful. We knew what to take away from them.”

Cronin was thrilled with a chance to have an advantage from the perimeter.

“We win 33 to 12 (points from 3-pointers),” Cronin said. “So, it’s nice to be on the positive end of a 21-point difference. Our game plan was to do everything we could to eliminate their 3-point shooting.

“The mark of a good team is they played better defense as the game goes on. We only had nine turnovers on the road and forced 15, that gives you a real chance to win.”

Raynaud had 20 points and 10 rebounds to pace Stanford. Spencer Jones added 15 points and Brandon Angel added 12.

The Bruins aren’t getting overconfident, but they are embracing an identity after a slow start in conference play.

“It’s all about being the underdog and having that grit coming into every game,” McClendon said. “A lot of people have been counting us out. We had a rocky start and I think just coming in, being together, and kind of being an underdog having a little chip on our shoulder.”

UP NEXT

UCLA plays at Cal on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

Stanford hosts USC on Saturday at 7 p.m.

UCLA makes it four straight

Five Bruins score in double figures in 82-74 win over Stanford. Highlights pic.twitter.com/v9IrI2pVmh

— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) February 8, 2024