A one-point win for the No. 4 team in the country against the team picked to finish eighth in the Pac-12 doesn’t appear very impressive on the surface. But UCLA’s 83-82 win Saturday at Utah was monumental for Steve Alford.

Coupled with Thursday’s win at Colorado, it was the first conference road sweep for UCLA in the Alford era, which is in its fourth season. Escaping Salt Lake City with a win was extremely significant for UCLA, considering its weaknesses on defense were on display most of the game.

One of the knocks on the Bruins as they rose to No. 2 in the country earlier this season was that they hadn’t faced much adversity. Games like Saturday’s are proving UCLA’s mettle. It has been in a handful of tight games now and has lost just one.

For a team with freshmen as its two best players to overcome a nine-point second-half deficit on the road early in conference play is no small feat. UCLA will have plenty to assess in the film room this week, but Alford will undoubtedly be administering his thoughts with a smile on his face.