Muhammad keys No. 23 UCLA

SEATTLE — Once they got word, UCLA stopped with the hugs and handshakes on the court and raced into the locker room, huddling around cellphones and computers to get updates on what was happening in Salt Lake City.

When Utah’s upset of Oregon became final, the Bruins’ locker room erupted with cheers; the Pac-12 Conference regular-season title was theirs alone.

“To go through all the adversity we’ve gone through this season, to be able to win it here is really special,” UCLA coach Ben Howland said. “To beat a really good team on their home floor is difficult to do, and that was done today.”

Bishop Gorman High School product Shabazz Muhammad scored 21 points as No. 23 UCLA clinched the Pac-12 regular-season title with a 61-54 win over the Huskies on Saturday.

The day began with four teams alive for a piece of the championship, but the Bruins (23-8, 13-5 Pac-12) slammed shut the hopes for anyone other than Oregon by holding the Huskies (17-14, 9-9) to two points over the final five minutes.

Oregon then lost at Utah, making UCLA the top seed for the conference tournament this week at the MGM Grand Garden.

Muhammad scored 14 in the second half and helped UCLA rally from a four-point deficit with five minutes remaining.

“I thought Shabazz was great today. Shabazz is the player of the year in the conference,” Howland said. “This win hopefully hammers that home. He was phenomenal.”