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UCLA Basketball: Another bad shooting night haunts the Bruins

By Mike Regalado

MEMPHIS, TN - MARCH 24: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins reacts in the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats during the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional at FedExForum on March 24, 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, TN - MARCH 24: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins reacts in the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats during the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional at FedExForum on March 24, 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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The UCLA basketball team has no answer to bad shooting, for and against, as they lose to Oregon State and fall in the Pac-12 standings.

I had to sleep on this one. There were so many things bouncing around in my head after the UCLA basketball team (13-6, 4-3) lost to a less talented, but more determined Oregon State (11-7, 3-3) squad.

It was not all bad though. The Bruins started the game with plenty of energy. Not only were they making the downtempo Beavers run in the first half, but the Bruins also got a boost from Aaron Holiday and Thomas Welsh at key moments throughout the game.

Unfortuately, that was all that they got. Despite a fast start, the Bruins couldn’t make a basket to save their lives. They shot 22/58 (37.9%) from the field and 7/23 (30.4%) from downtown. That is not good for a team that lives and (now) dies by the three. The biggest problem with this is that the Bruins have no inside presence.

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On a few occasions, Welsh, the best rebounder and three-point shooter on the team, would pop out to the arc in anticipation of a pass, yet not one other player collapsed into the paint. Essentially, UCLA has their entire offense by the three-point line when Welsh shoots. Zero blue jerseys under the basket.

On a positive note, despite a struggle to score, Welsh got his 11th double-double of the season with 10 points and 13 rebounds.

Aaron Holiday turned his game up in the second half which sparked a comeback. The Beavers led for most of the second half when the Bruins roared back  behind Holiday who finished with 22 points. Two other Bruins stepped up as Chris Smith and Kris Wilkes both shot a team-best 4/8 (50.0%) and ended with 9 points.

But there was not much to write home about after that. The defense was decent, but Oregon State also had a bad shooting night, going 23/63 (36.5%). Despite shooting worse than the Bruins, UCLA could not capitalize on this. Instead, the Beavers were backing down Bruin big men in the paint or scoring on open back cuts or getting uncontested shots. All of which results in UCLA’s sixth loss of the season.

Next: Alford has not kept his promise about the defense

And what does this amount to? A 4-3 conference record and tied for fourth in the Pac-12 with Colorado behind Arizona, Stanford and USC. And sorry to beat a dead horse but “it doesn’t get any easier” as the Bruins face an Oregon team that just lost to USC. So UCLA has a bunch of angry Ducks to face and a potential three-game losing streak. Good times. Only 225 days to UCLA football’s season opener.