The UCLA basketball team needed extra time to put away Central Arkansas, 106-101, and one of the reasons is because there is still no defense.
UCLA basketball (2-0) is already behind the eight ball as they are down three players. Earlier today it was announced that LiAngelo Ball, Jalen Hill and Cody Riley are indefinitely suspended. They did not play in the first game against Georgia Tech and will not play in any games for the foreseeable future. That will be a big problem.
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Without these three, the Bruins are lacking serious depth, athleticism and much-needed offense. Though the Bruins were able to put up more points than their effort in the season opener, defense still remains a huge problem against the Central Arkansas Bears (1-2).
Midway through the first half it seemed as though UCLA was going to pull away from the Bears. UCLA had a 17-point lead and was looking very efficient on both ends. Unfortunately a lack of offense and a continual lack of defense allowed Central Arkansas to make this a game. They shot 53.1% from the field and 61.5% from behind the line.
FINAL: UCLA 106, Central Arkansas 101 in overtime.#GoBruins #UCAvsUCLA pic.twitter.com/oxRubMYSAe
— UCLA Men’s Basketball (@UCLAMBB) November 16, 2017
The Bears were especially stubborn in the second half. Though they shot 21/32, they kept the game close all the way to the final buzzer. Unfortunately, they relied on the outside shot a bit too much and their 3-point percentage dropped to 45.5% (10/22).
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UCLA was simply not good on defense. They allowed four Bears to score in double-digits with two of them going for more than 20. Thatch Unruh had that exact number while Jordan Howard went off for 35 points aided by 8/15 shooting from the arc. It was brutal as the Bruins continued to allow uncontested shots from distance.
Luckily, overtime was a different story as UCLA turned on the afterburners for the majority of the extra five minutes. Though the defense was weak, it was slightly improved, though the pressure of playing from behind might have caught up to Central Arkansas. The offensive effort of the Bruins pushed them through for the victory as the Bruins outscored the Bears 20-15 in OT.
UCLA ended up with six players in double-digits with Aaron Holiday, Kris Wilkes and Thomas Welsh taking the lead.
Holiday had himself a game with a team-high 24 points. After a sluggish start in the season opener, Holiday showed his prowess in the win over UCA. Wilkes, who had a team-high 18 against GT, continued his production with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Welsh captured the other double-double of the game as he had 16 points and 11 rebounds.
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If there is one takeaway from this game, it is that UCLA has a lot of scoring options, but their defense is still underwhelming and will be a problem going forward if this is not addressed.