UCLA basketball appeared to have a bit of a Maui Invitational hangover on Thursday night, after nearly imploding versus UC Riverside at Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins ultimately avoided the upset, thanks to some fortuitous circumstances.

After blowing a double-digit lead in the second half, UCLA found itself in need of a bucket late. Enter Dylan Andrews, who badly scuffled in a close loss to Gonzaga on Nov. 22 but bounced back nicely against the Highlanders. The sophomore guard scored scored 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including the game-winning, contested runner with three seconds left on the clock.

Apparently, though, the Bruins did not execute the play the way acting head coach Darren Savino drew it up. “We survived and Dylan hit a great shot at the end, and we even messed that play up,” the associate head coach said, per Tracy McDannald of BruinBlitz. “Our execution still is not good.”

Savino filled in for two-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year Mick Cronin, who is out with COVID-19. Tempers probably would have been high in the locker room if the team lost because it didn't run the play as instructed. Some fine-tuning is needed to ensure that UCLA basketball doesn't have to sweat it out at home against an inferior opponent again.

Cronin and his staff have built a successful culture in Westwood Plaza over the last few years, but this first season following the departures of program pillars like Jaime Jaquez Jr., Tyger Campbell and Jaylen Clark will be a big test. So far, the Bruins (5-2) have lost to two ranked opponents by a combined six points.

They will look for that elusive signature win on the road at No. 18 Villanova this Saturday. Unfortunately, the team might be showing some battle scars from Thursday's game, as Sebastian Mack aggravated a toe injury and Berke Buyuktuncel injured his ankle, per Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times.