The only things missing from his emergence as UCLA’s closer are an entrance song and a breathless announcement from the P.A. announcer.
“Preparing to take the big shot for the Bruins, No. 12, Sebastian Mack !” Otherwise, the sophomore guard has mastered taking over a game in the final minutes. He made the three-pointer that kept USC from completing a comeback .
He converted an old-fashioned three-point play to nudge his team ahead against Gonzaga . He badgered Wisconsin with a barrage of floaters and driving layups. Like baseball’s best closers, Mack has shown a knack for being dependable in pressure situations.
“Sebastian’s got no fear,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said Wednesday, “and when you’ve got a guy like that, he believes he can score at any time.” Mack often finishes what his teammates started, coming off the bench to provide an infusion of offense. The latest came with 68 seconds left Monday against the Trojans, who had crept to within a point after being down by 12.
With the shot clock about to expire and three of the Bruins’ top five scorers on the bench — Tyler Bilodeau with an injured ankle, Dylan Andrews with cramps and Kobe Johnson with five fouls — Mack rose for the three-pointer that quieted the roaring crowd inside the Galen Center. “My mindset was, just try to find something,” Mack said. “ .
.. I just felt like I could get us there, I’ll take us home.
” Having developed a tendency to shoot line drives that barely clear the rim.
