Big Ten rivals, UCLA and Oregon, clashed on Saturday afternoon at Pauley Pavilion as the Bruins (7-2, 2-0 Big Ten) avoided a late-game collapse with a 74-63 victory.
The first half started with an aggressive push from the Ducks’ offense, who have averaged 74.1 points on the season. However, the Bruins defense, which has limited points scored to 63.8 points this season, was able to hold them at bay and overpower them offensively. This offensive surge was powerful enough to where UCLA held the lead over the Ducks for the rest of the first half thanks to dominant offensive performances by the Bruins’ starters.
The most notable first-half performance came from forward Eric Dailey Jr., who was the game’s leading scorer in the first half with 14 points. Guard Skyy Clark’s performance also contributed to the offensive surge, scoring 10 points, the second most of the Bruins’ starters in the first half. These standout performances propelled UCLA to a 13-point lead over the Ducks with a score of 44-31 by halftime.
In stark contrast to their first-half dominance, UCLA’s offense began to falter in the second-half. Oregon’s offense outmatched UCLA for a significant portion of the second half, which on a few occasions was able to cut UCLA’s 13-point lead to three. Despite the offensive challenges that UCLA’s offense faced, they were able to regain their footing and further extended their lead against Oregon. Despite Oregon outscoring UCLA 32-30 in the second half, the Bruins were able to hold out long enough to end the game with a score of 74-63.
Strong offensive performances from Tyler Bilodeau, Clark, and most importantly, Dailey Jr., allowed UCLA to avoid a late-game collapse that they just narrowly managed to avoid during Wednesday’s game against the University of Washington. Despite regaining their leading scorer in Bilodeau after a knee injury on Nov. 21, the Bruins still have lingering offensive struggles that they must address and fix if they want to continue to retain their undefeated status in the Big Ten.
Following today’s win, the Bruins turn their attention to the Gonzaga Bulldogs, as they head to Seattle for an 8:30 p.m. matchup next Saturday.
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Featured Image via UCLA Athletics
