The UCLA Bruins didn’t exactly start slow this afternoon, but they didn’t control the first half the way they did against Stanford on Thursday either. After all, Oregon came into this afternoon’s game at Pauley Pavilion banged up and missing several key guys. Despite that, the Ducks were able to control most of the first half. In the second half though, UCLA broke out by more than doubling their first half points, to win 65-56.

The Bruins took an early lead when Jaime Jaquez, Jr. hit a pair of shots in the first three minutes to give UCLA a quick 4-0 lead.

But Oregon used a 9-0 run to take a 9-4 lead with 14 minutes to go in the half.

With the Bruins trailing 12-6, Kenneth Nwuba started a 5-0 Bruin mini-run that cut the Oregon lead to just a point. UCLA kept it close but they couldn’t re-take the lead. With 5:45 to go before halftime, Oregon clung to an 18-17 lead.

Three consecutive baskets by the Ducks pushed their lead to seven, 24-17. In the last four minutes and 21 seconds of the half, the Bruins outscored Oregon 4 to 3 and the Ducks took a 27-21 lead into the locker room at the break.

The first three minutes of the second half saw the Bruins come storming back to take their first lead of the game. UCLA used a pair of three from Jaylen Clark and Tyger Campbell to tie the game, 31-31. Clark added a pair of free throws to give the Bruins a 33-31 edge.

The Ducks briefly retook the lead on a Kel’el Ware three-pointer, but Campbell put UCLA back in front with the next bucket.

Following the 12-minute media timeout, Quincy Guerrier put the Ducks back in front, 45-44.

It took the Bruins until the 8:37 mark to get back ahead. That’s when David Singleton hit a three which gave UCLA a 49-47 lead, but it was a short-lived one as Rivaldo Soares tied the game back up on the Ducks’ next possession. Tyger Campbell put the Bruins ahead for good on UCLA’s ensuing possession when he hit a jumper with 7:48 left and the Bruins led, 51-49.

But the Ducks didn’t just fold up and die. With 4:22 to go, Lok Wur made a pair of free throws which cut UCLA’s lead to a point, 55-54. Over the next three-plus minutes, the Bruins shut the door on the game by going on an 8-0 run and taking a 63-54 lead with a minute to go.

In that final minute, the Ducks could only manage one bucket while Jaquez scored the final two points of the game on a pair of free throws with 35 seconds left to give the Bruins a 65-56 victory.

Overall, the Bruins got the offense they needed in the second half. Amari Bailey scored 14 second half points while Jaquez scored twice as many (8) in the second half as he did in the first. Tyger Campbell and David Singleton, who were both scoreless in the first half, scored 10 and 5, respectively.

For the game, Bailey and Clark tied for the team lead with 14 points each while Jaquez finished up with 12.

The Bruins will now get this week off as students wrap up final exams for Fall Quarter. UCLA doesn’t play again until the Denver Pioneers visit Westwood on Saturday at Noon PT. The game will be broadcast on Pac-12 Networks.


Go Bruins!!!

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