As if Thursday’s showdown between the No. 10 UCLA Bruins and No. 5 Oregon Ducks did not have enough intrigue, the UCLA Bruins mascot made sure to “butt in” on the action on the court.
The sensibly named Joe Bruin decided to let it all hang out while doing his best to distract and Oregon Ducks player at the free throw line at Pauley Pavilion.
Standing along the baseline, Joe Bruin dropped his pants and proceeded to shake and pat his hind end as Jordan Bell made an attempt from the charity stripe.
To say the mascot’s crass attempt at distraction came at a critical time would be an understatement. UCLA was holding on to a tenuous 80-78 lead with 19.1 seconds left when Bell toed the line.
The question is: Did Joe Bruin’s pants-less high jinks pay off?
The answer would be, “No,” as Bell drained the free throw to bring the Ducks within one point.
In the end — pun intended — the Bruins held off the Ducks, winning by a score 82-79.
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