Kris Wilkes already was hobbled with calf cramps when he rose for the three-point shot that could ease his pain.
The near-capacity crowd roared in appreciation, Wilkes’ shot with nine-tenths of a second remaining Saturday night at Pauley Pavilion completing a comeback from a late five-point deficit and lifting the Bruins to an improbable 65-62 victory over Notre Dame.
Wilkes had gone to the locker room earlier in the second half because of cramps and had to be helped off the court by teammates after his winning shot completed UCLA’s game-ending 8-0 run.
“That was a great shot,” said Wilkes, who got a hug from Hands in mid-answer at the postgame news conference.