The UCLA basketball team once again had trouble putting away a team with lesser talent as the Bruins blow a 24-point advantage against Presbyterian on Monday, yet was able to maintain the lead and get the win late in the game.
What we saw on Monday from the UCLA basketball team was nothing new. The Bruins jumped out to a sizeable lead over a lesser opponent (or any opponent for that matter) and in the second half of the game, let up on the gas, promoting the team on the other side of the court to orchestrate a furious comeback, only to have UCLA start playing some proper basketball, once again, in the last five minutes of the game.
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The tendency to do this fades as the season goes on, but it is one of the many things head coach Steve Alford has not yet figured out.
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Alford addressed it in his post-game comments. “Well, we’re really pleased with the start. Really disappointed with the first 15 minutes of the second half. I thought we were really making growth in the first half and then we took about two steps back in the second half.”
The Bruins, as they should have against an opponent of this caliber, jumped out to a 41-19 lead at halftime. The Bruins did a solid job on offense, shooting 51.7% and an even better job on defense, only allowing the Presbyterian Blue Hose to make 21.2% of their shots as they went 7/33 from the field.
UCLA had increased their lead at the start of the second half to 24 points when they took a 47-23 lead. Over the next ten minutes, they would slip and Presbyterian College would go on a 35-14 run. Whether it was listlessness, pride, or the continued inability to play defense for a full 40 minutes, the Bruins once again failed to put an opponent away and it nearly cost them.
The Bruins did not have the same fight, fight, fight they had in the first half. After the break, the Bruins shot 38.2% from the field, only scoring 39 points to Presbyterian’s 46, which is the first time the Bruins have been outscored in the second half this season.
ICYMI last night, Jalen Hill had 20 rebounds as UCLA downed Presbyterian, 80-65.
— UCLA Men’s Basketball (@UCLAMBB) November 20, 2018
No Bruin had tallied 20 or more rebounds since @kevinlove patrolled the paint in 2008.
RECAP: https://t.co/qjeWQdzu8H pic.twitter.com/3St1u1LlJ9
UCLA’s defense was particularly concerning as they looked confused in transition, failed to step up to the ball handler, and gave up way too many open shots, especially from the outside.
Presbyterian took full advantage of UCLA playing on their heels as the Blue Hose hit 10 three-pointers in the second half.
Though the Bruins are 4-0 on the season, the second half meltdown, which has become a characteristic of Alford’s program, is not good for a team that is about to play two very difficult games in Las Vegas on Thursday and Friday. On Thanksgiving, the Bruins take on #11 Michigan State (3-1) whose only loss was a five-point defeat to #1 Kansas. According to ESPN, the Bruins only have a 24.7% chance of winning this game.
UCLA does not need to pull off a miracle, they just have to stay consistent against MSU. The Bruins have the players to put points on the board, they just have to find a way to stop the Spartans from scoring, which will not be an easy feat as they are scoring 93.5 points per game.