Bruin Briefs: UCLA is Ball(ing)

As some UCLA Bruins have seen their seasons come to an end, others continue to keep the hopes of bringing the 114th championship to Westwood alive.

Basketball

Basketball is fun again in Westwood! Thanks to freshmen Lonzo Ball and TJ Leaf, the UCLA Basketball team is red hot, riding a 6-game winning streak after defeating Nebraska. UCLA will face off against Texas A&M in the Wooden Legacy Classic final on November 27.

Cross Country

The UCLA Cross Country teams concluded their seasons just last week at the NCAA Championships, played at the LaVern Gibson Championships Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Indiana. The men’s team posted a 15th overall finish while the women’s took the 28th spot.

Related Story: UCLA at Cal: Three Keys to Victory

Football (Overall 4-7, Conference 2-6)

The UCLA Football team fell to #13 USC 36-14 last Saturday. The Bruins again struggled in offense and were unable to keep up with the Trojans. The Bruins will get a chance to end the season with a win (and keep the possibility of a bowl open) when they visit the California Golden Bears this afternoon.

Men’s Golf

UCLA Men’s Golf fell 2-4 against the Colorado Buffaloes at the Gifford Collegiate Match Play, taking a sixth place finish.

The Bruins will hibernate for the rest of the fall and will return to action on January 23 at the Arizona Intercollegiate.

Men’s Soccer (Overall 10-8-2, Conference 4-5-1)

For the second year in a row, the UCLA Men’s Soccer team was eliminated from the NCAA Championship in the second round. This time, the Bruins lost to Louisville in a heartbreaker when the Cardinals scored the game-winning goal in overtime.

Men’s Tennis

The UCLA Men’s Tennis team participated in the Jack Kramer Collegiate Invitational November 10-13. The Bruins did not do so well in singles play, where they were dropped all four matches in the main draw. In doubles play, however, Daniel Gealer and Maxime Cressy outplayed the Pepperdine duo before losing to UCSB’s team in the semifinals.

The Bruins will take an extended holiday break before they see action again on January 13 at the Sherwood Collegiate Cup.

Men’s Water Polo (#2, 25-2 Overall, Conference 2-1)

Up until November 11, the UCLA Men’s Water Polo team had been perfect until the Bruins lost a close game to USC. Just a few days later, the Bruins would suffer their second loss of the season, again to USC, during the MPSF Championship game.

The Bruins are now waiting to find out who their opponent will be during the opening round of the NCAA Championship on December 3.

Women’s Basketball (#9, 5-1 Overall, Conference 0-0)

Junior Jordin Canada helped the UCLA Women’s Basketball team beat Toledo in the Cancun Challenge by scoring 27 points, including the last two baskets for the Bruins. UCLA will see action again on December 4 when they face Hawai’i.

Women’s Golf

The UCLA Women’s Golf team participated in the East Lake Cup earlier this month. The Bruins faced and lost to Stanford in match play consolation. The Bruins will open spring play at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge on February 12 in Palos Verdes, California.

Women’s Soccer (#11, Overall 15-5-2, Conference 7-3-1)

More from Go Joe Bruin

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• UCLA Football: Where are they ranked heading into week 4
• UCLA Football: Position battle breakdown for Utah showdown
• UCLA vs. Utah: Location, time, prediction, and more
• UCLA Football: Highlights from Chip Kelly’s appearance on the Jim Rome Show

The UCLA Women’s Soccer team was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by West Virginia in the third round after the Bruins lost a penalty kick shootout. The Bruins had previously cruised against Seattle and Nebraska in the first two rounds of the tournament, but No. 1 seed Mountaineers were just too much for the Bruins to handle.

Swimming & Diving

The UCLA Swimming and Diving team participated in and conquered the A3 Performance Invitational in Monterey Park, California. This is the second straight year the Bruins place first in this meet.

The Bruins will get back to the water again December 1 when they travel to Austin for the Texas Invitational.

Women’s Tennis

Junior Terri Fleming was defeated by South Carolina’s Mia Horvit in the Jack Kramer Classic singles final. The UCLA Women’s Tennis team will see action again in January 13 when they participate in the National Collegiate Championships.

Next: Lonzo Ball's Dad Guarantees a UCLA National Championship

Women’s Volleyball (#8, Overall 23-6, Conference 14-5)

Earlier this week, the UCLA Women’s Volleyball team dropped a tough game against #7 Washington. With their win, the Huskies ended a 5-game winning streak by the Bruins. UCLA will close the regular season later today as they host USC.