PORTLAND, Ore. — Each time Peyton Watson checks into a game he’s tucking his jersey in, but it’s not because he’s not ready.

“Every time I come in or out of a game, I tuck in or untuck my jersey, because I think if I keep my jersey tucked in, I keep all the energy I had from the last time I was in. So, I untuck it and let everything out. Then when I come back in, I tuck my jersey in and I’m ready to go,” Watson said.

UCLA coach Mick Cronin pointed at Watson and quickly motioned his hand toward the scorer’s table for him to check in to UCLA’s NCAA Tournament first-round game Thursday night. Watson popped off the bench, trotted to center court and jogged onto the floor while tucking his jersey in.

It was the freshman’s first taste of March Madness. But it lasted only 48 seconds.

“I got my butterflies out in that first half,” Watson said, who was subbed in for the final moments of the opening half. “I was chomping at the bit to get back in the game.”

Watson did get back in. And again, he exercised his ritual when he checked in midway through the second half, tucking in his jersey after letting those proverbial butterflies out earlier by untucking his jersey.

The time wasn’t that much longer – just five minutes – but it’s all he needed.

The 6-foot-8 wing put together a sequence that completely re-energized the Bruins. First he hit a 3-pointer that gave UCLA a 38-37 lead – its first since it led 10-7. A few plays later, Watson attacked the rim with no hesitation, creating an above-the-rim moment the traveling fans appreciated.

These five points from Peyton Watson in the second half of UCLA’s 57-53 win over Akron Thursday night were huge. They were the Bruins’ only bench points (5) in a 4-point win. I know Long Beach is proud.pic.twitter.com/OWvUpATWx2

— Tarek Fattal (@Tarek_Fattal) March 18, 2022

His shot was off the mark, then dove on the floor to scrap for a loose ball. He was called for a foul, but Cronin endorsed the effort by clapping and thundering his disdain for the call to the officials.

“I’m ready for whenever my jersey number is called,” Watson said. “Every time I come in, I try and bring energy, more than anything statistic.”

He then converted a skilled jump shot in the heart of the key to cap his own five-point run.

Watson’s spurt of energy bridged the gap between a second-half panic and the Bruins regaining control as UCLA did exactly that, taking down Akron 57-53 in a comeback victory at the Moda Center.

“Peyton had some great minutes,” said Cronin, whose fourth-seeded Bruins (26-7) will face fifth-seeded St. Mary’s (26-7) in the second round on Saturday at 4:10 p.m. (TBS). “They were really impactful minutes. He didn’t get a rebound, but his effort to go get some, he infused energy into our team, which we needed.”

Watson’s two baskets were the only points off the bench for the Bruins.

“It was crazy to hear the crowd roar when I made a shot, I was like, ‘Wow, I’m really playing in March Madness,’” said Watson, who was a McDonald’s All-American at Long Beach Poly High. “It gave me chills, and more than anything, I was just happy that my family was there to watch me.”

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Well after the game finished, when the arena was cleared and the stands were empty, Watson was the last player to leave the floor as he humbly walked over to Josh Lewin and Tracy Murray to be interviewed on AM 570’s radio broadcast.

Murray, a one-time UCLA great, was praising Watson for his second-half performance.

“(Thursday) was a surreal moment for me,” Watson said. “Everything came full circle. I’ve been watching the tournament since I was a kid.”