The Bruins will look to complete a season sweep of their crosstown rivals tonight. (Photo Credit: Scott Chandler/uclabruins.com)
The Bruins have had almost a full week to prepare for tonight’s game after losing a close game to Utah on Sunday. Of course, the last time UCLA played the Trojans was about a month ago when the Bruins easily defeated Southern Cal at the Galen Center.
Since that game, UCLA has been one of the hottest teams in the conference, if not the country, as they gone 5-1 since.
Meanwhile, the guys across town are mired in a season to forget. They’ve gone just 2-4 since the 15-point drubbing UCLA put on them.
When the Bruins went across town last month, Southern Cal head coach opted for a starting lineup with two guards and three forwards. However, the return of freshman Isaiah Collier has resulted in less playing time for both Bronny James, who only played 14 minutes in the Trojans’ double overtime loss to Colorado last Saturday, as well as Vincent Iwuchukwu due to the fact that they are now starting a three-guard, two-forward lineup.
When the teams met at the Galen Center, UCLA’s defense stood out. The Bruins kept all five of the Trojan starters out of double figures. In fact, reserve guard Oziyah Sellers was the only player who got into double figures with just 10 points.
If UCLA can play tough defense tonight and continue shooting well, I don’t see any reason why the Bruins won’t crush their rivals by an even bigger margin tonight. Of course, it will be tougher even though tonight’s game is in Pauley because Collier has been averaging 19.5 ppg since returning from his fractured hand injury.
Listen to the Game With TMB
Tonight’s game will be on ESPN with Roxy Bernstein and Sean Farnham calling the game. If you prefer, you can listen to Josh Lewin and Tracy Murray. Just be sure to right-click on it so that you can open up another tab and have it going while you chat in the comments below. Listen to todays’s game online.
This is your UCLA men’s basketball vs. Southern Cal game thread. Here’s how to watch, listen and stream today’s game:
Thanks again for supporting The Mighty Bruin. Your paid subscriptions make this site possible. Questions, comments, story ideas, angry missives and more can be sent to @TheMightyBruin on Twitter.
certainly not my first choice, but expected a lot worse with our limited funds. He should at least appeal to QB recruits. I was hoping for Scott Frost or UNLV's OC.
Me too but we can't say that the key to DeShawn doing well is experienced coordinators and then turn around and question "who's in charge" when we hire one! FWIW Chiefs players swear by him... And at least he's not the HC
WooHoo Dux lost to Cal which means we are tied for 3rd. Beat suc! Win Pac-12 Tourney and dancing! Where's Waiting4Ever to tell me that I am full of hopium 🤣 Luv ya Waiting4Ever 💙💛
Great to see you BruinMom! You and Terry were missing - I am now convinced it wasn't Mack's ejection that caused our loss, it's the fact that we didn't have you and Terry 💙💛
ASU just beat Wazzu! If we can win out in Pac-12 we will finish in 2nd place! Hopium yes, but possible. Would be pretty great considering how we started this season. Tonight became even more important! Beat SUC! 💙💛
When we played Cal we were all over them in the first half. Why are we backing off against Ellis and Collier. Doesn’t make sense. Effort needs to increase.
U clap clap clap!
C Clap Clap Clap!
L clap clap clap!
A clap! clap! clap!
UCLA Fight Fight Fight!!! And beat suc!!! 💙💛
Go Bruins. Beat. suc
Good evening, Tamara! Go Bruins!
Good evening sweet friend! 💙💛
Hi, Clio!
Eric Bieniemy OC
And “associate head coach” aka about to be a dumpster fire of who is actually in charge
Bieniemy heads DD's list of candidates who should not be hired.
certainly not my first choice, but expected a lot worse with our limited funds. He should at least appeal to QB recruits. I was hoping for Scott Frost or UNLV's OC.
Me too but we can't say that the key to DeShawn doing well is experienced coordinators and then turn around and question "who's in charge" when we hire one! FWIW Chiefs players swear by him... And at least he's not the HC
Word is that the players did not like playing for him.
Good evening, Terry!
Evening Jim. Here’s to a huge win.
Terry, great to see you this eve my friend! 💙💛
You too Tamara. Go Bruins.
WooHoo Dux lost to Cal which means we are tied for 3rd. Beat suc! Win Pac-12 Tourney and dancing! Where's Waiting4Ever to tell me that I am full of hopium 🤣 Luv ya Waiting4Ever 💙💛
WooHoo indeed!
Hello Bruins fans! I am back from my sister’s and ready for the game!
Great to see you BruinMom! You and Terry were missing - I am now convinced it wasn't Mack's ejection that caused our loss, it's the fact that we didn't have you and Terry 💙💛
Glad I can be here tonight.
We, too!
I wish I brought the luck tonight. Such a painful game to watch.
It was great being with you BruinMom. I am just numb after this debacle 😞
Really sad. Really felt like things were on an upswing but this was just a bad game. The turnovers alone were mind boggling.
Good evening, Bruin Mama! Good to see you! Let's hope for a convincing win over $UC!
Hi Mom
Hey, BMom!
Please tell me Tony Padiila is not ref'ing.
Hey, Bruin familial! Let's go!! Beat $C!!
Good evening BB
Hey Terry!!
bb!!! Great to see you my friend! Let's Go Bruins and beat SUC!!! 💙💛
Let's go, Tamara!!
Yo, bb! Beat $UC! Go Bruins!
Hey, Jim!!
At least we don't have a close game before us, full of time-outs and possible OTs; game should start close to on time
I sit corrected LOL
🤣🤣🤣
Hey, hey the gang’s alll here to root us to a big win. Missing GBruin
Greetings from a very loud Pauley Pavilion!
Hey AB. Root hard
Hi Army my friend! 💙💛 Let's do this! Beat SUC!
Hey Army, you lucky duck!
Didja blue it out, AB? :-)
ASU just beat Wazzu! If we can win out in Pac-12 we will finish in 2nd place! Hopium yes, but possible. Would be pretty great considering how we started this season. Tonight became even more important! Beat SUC! 💙💛
Tip ten minutes late.
Not surprising. Wait until there are in game clock issues and SPTRs look confused 🤣
Let's go!!!
Here we go Bruins here we go!!!
Dylan Whispering to Adem. Play ball!
Bona geting hacked!
They are going to do that all night and hope ref’s don’t call it.
Bona for 2 Throws!
Hi y’all, looks like we are making our free throws so far
Ry! Great to see you my friend! 💙💛
Nice to “see” you
🤣
Hi Ry
Hey, Ry!!
Call the foul!!
Great hustle
Shit, way too early to pick up the first foul, Bona!
C'mon, Adem! Sloppy on both sides so far.
Not a good start.
Poor O
Again 😞
Love me some Berke!!
Berke for 3!!!
Berke for 3!
Great minds!
We're all here!
Berke!
Good looks hard to come by early for both teams
Finally Mara getting physical! Send it, young man!!
Good looks hard to come by early for both teams
Berke o D
Mara, you seriously need to find some offense, especially the 2 footers!
Nice pull-up, Stefanovic
Stef!
Stef!
The paper towel is entering the game
Lol
Stef for 3 Throws!
Can we defend the 3s pleeeese!
Bona with the dribble drive!
Trogans with 5 quick fouls in the game
This is good.
Damn, how you defend someone shooting from that far out??
Just hope he cools off
Wow! Can't stop them!
Damn, what are we doing on D?
Too many open looks for their guards right now.
Fact.
When we played Cal we were all over them in the first half. Why are we backing off against Ellis and Collier. Doesn’t make sense. Effort needs to increase.
We are shooting 22% and Throws are 100%. Mara can't shoot.
Never could. Biggest swing and a miss in a long while...
I don’t get Mara TBH
Time to pick it up our heads are not in the game.
Berke!!
He’s the only one hitting right now
Berke is going to be really good next year.
I'm feeling that way, too, Terry.
C'mon, Bruins don't let this one get away! Thank you, Berke!
Need to rebound like we did the first time we played $C
Oh, Berke....