Bruins get pooped on by Ducks 71-66 OT

UCLA had 7 players play in the game. Malcolm Lee was neglible tonight with 2 pts (1-9 shooting, 0-5, at 3-pt range) altough he had 6 rbds and 6 assists (2 turnovers). But Malcolm needs to step up more. We would have won if he brought his 13 ppg average tonight.

4 players were in double figures (3 with double-doubles), Nikola Dragovic (19 pts,10 rbds), Michael Roll (16 pts, 6 assists), Tyler Honeycutt (13 pts, 10 rbds) and Reeves Nelson (11 pts,7 rbds).

Roll, Nelson and Honeycutt played really well tonight. Drago was on fire earlier on, but cooled down precipitously in the 2nd half. He had several defensive lapses as well.

The 2-3 zone looked good but Oregon really pushed the tempo and were not giving the Bruins enough time to set up the zone.

Well, on to Oregon State to tangle with the Beavers on Saturday.

 

UCLA basketball: Bruins fall in overtime, 71-66
By Chris Foster
The Los Angeles Times
January 28, 2010 | 10:08 pm


UCLA paid its last visit to McArthur Court to play Oregon. The Bruins will gladly supervise its demolition.

The Ducks scrapped out a 71-66 overtime victory Thursday night after the Bruins blew a 13-point lead in the first half. Matt Humphrey scored E.J. Singler both scored eight points in overtime to give the Bruins one last bad taste of Mac Court.

Singler hit two free throws with seven seconds left to clinch the victory.

Humphrey hit two three-point shots in overtime to keep UCLA at an arm’s length. His first broke a 55-55 tie and his second gave the Ducks a 61-57 lead with 1 minute 56 seconds left. Singler then had a tip-in and a fast-break layup to extend the lead to 65-59.

UCLA last chance came after James Keefe forced a held ball with 14 seconds left, giving possession to the Bruins. But UCLA did not go for a three-pointer trailing 69-66, as Nikola Dragovic was fouled driving to the basket. He missed the front end of a one-and-one.

The Bruins got the game to overtime on Michael Roll’s three-pointer, which tied the score, 55-55, with 10 seconds left.

Tajuan Porter missed a driving, well-defended layup with one second left and the game went to overtime.

The Bruins appeared headed toward a cordial evening in their last visit to McArthur Court. Dragovic made three consecutive three-pointers, part of a 15-2 run that gave UCLA a 24-13 lead.

The Bruins stretched that to 29-16, but then took a sabbatical, going the last 5:24 of the half without a field goal. The Ducks closed the half with a 12-2 run and trailed, 31-28, going into the second half.

UCLA's nap time carried into the second half. The Bruins had one field goal in the first five minutes, which became a 23-5 Oregon run for a 39-34 lead.
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Bruins fall in the Pit

OREGON 71, UCLA 66 (OT)

UCLA can't hold off Oregon in overtime after Michael Roll's late-three pointer.

By Chris Foster
The Los Angeles Times
January 29, 2010


Reporting from Eugene, Ore. - UCLA spent one last stressful evening at McArthur Court.

Maybe it wasn't quite like the old days. The Bruins weren't toting the No. 1 ranking into the arena and Oregon has been less "Kamikaze Kids" and more roll over and play dead this season.

But once more, with feeling, there they squared off in an arena where the visitors usually shoot cold, but their locker room is always sauna-hot.

By the time the Ducks scrapped out a 71-66 overtime victory, the Bruins gladly would have agreed to supervise the arena's demolition.

Matt Humphrey and E.J. Singler, both reserves, each scored eight points in overtime after the Bruins' Michael Roll sent the game into the extra period with a three-pointer with 11 seconds left in regulation.

The Bruins had a shot to tie the score with 14 seconds left, trailing 69-66. But Nikola Dracovic went to the hoop instead of looking for a three-pointer. He was fouled and missed the front end of the one-and-one.

"The play was for a three, but I saw a guy trailing me," Dragovic said. "I got fouled and I think that was the first time I have ever missed a free throw in the last minute."

Howland said that Dragovic, "could have made it a one-point game and there were 10 seconds left. That's an eternity."

Singler made two free throws with seven seconds left to clinch the victory.

"This place is loud, people are on top of you," Dragovic said. "But . . ."

In that pause was the what-might-have been.

The Bruins appeared headed toward a cordial evening in their last visit to Mac Court. Dragovic made three consecutive three-pointers, part of a 15-2 run that gave UCLA a 24-13 lead.

The Bruins stretched that to 29-16 but then took a sabbatical, going the last 5:24 of the half without a field goal. The Ducks closed the half with a 12-2 run and trailed, 31-28, going into the second half.

UCLA nap time carried into the second half. The Bruins had one field goal in the first five minutes, which became a 23-5 Oregon run for a 39-34 lead.

"I think the lesson we learned tonight was not to let up with the lead," UCLA Coach Ben Howland said. "We should have closed out the first half with more of a lead."

The Bruins have dealt with difficult games in McArthur Court before, whether it was Bill Walton's team getting upset in 1974 or Kevin Love being showered with inappropriate comments two seasons ago.

This was another one for the Ducks' scrapbook and another for the Bruins' scrap heap.

The loss left UCLA (9-11 overall, 4-4 in Pacific 10 Conference) one game out of last place in conference. Of course, there are eight conference teams either in last or within one game of last, including the Ducks (11-9, 3-5).

The Bruins situation is precarious, as this started a stretch where they play five of seven games on the road.

"The crowds are very hostile and it seems like every team we play on the road, they shoot better at home," said Roll, who scored 16 points. "You're used to the rims, you're used to the environment, you're more comfortable."

The Bruins shot 39% from the field and were only 10 of 33 against Oregon's 2-3 zone. Point guard Malcolm Lee was one for nine from the field.

"We need to have more of an inside presence," Howland said.

The Bruins were down but not out, not this year.

"I think everyone feels they have a chance to win the conference," UCLA forward James Keefe said. "No one is just going to lay down and lose."
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UCLA falls in its final McArthur Court contest
By Jon Gold Staff Writer
The Los Angeles Daily News
Updated: 01/28/2010 11:07:40 PM PST


EUGENE, Ore. - Just as UCLA's starters legs started to go, Oregon's reserves had theirs in reserve.

A pair of backup Ducks - sophomore guard Matthew Humphrey and freshman forward E.J. Singler - proved the difference Thursday night as Oregon defeated the Bruins 71-66 in overtime in UCLA's last visit to McArthur Court.

Humphrey had a pair of crucial 3-pointers and eight total points in the extra period and Singler added all eight of his points in overtime as the Bruins slumped at the end.

Were it not for porous 3-point shooting, UCLA would have run away with it. The Bruins shot 10 for 33 from long range - including 4 of 14 in the second half - as Oregon came back from a huge early deficit.

"I thought most of the 3's we took were pretty much open," said UCLA senior guard Michael Roll, who had 16 points and 4 of 9 3-pointers in a game-high 44 minutes. "There were a few of them at the end of the clock that we had to put up, but I wouldn't say we forced any out there. That's just what the zone gave us."

The Ducks played a paint-clogging 2-3 zone much of the game, clamping down after UCLA (9-11, 4-4 Pacific-10 Conference) jumped to a 24-13 lead. Oregon (11-9, 3-5) closed the gap to three going into the halftime break, and held a small lead for much of the second half until Roll tied the score with a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left in regulation.

Before giving way to Singler and Humphrey, Ducks guard Tajuan Porter took control early, with nine first-half points.

"I don't think it was me, it was my teammates - we kind of spread them out in the zone," Porter said. "Malcolm Armstead got in the driving gaps, he got the ball in the middle and they kicked them out. I got open shots, and I knocked them down early."

UCLA's guards, though, could not match Porter's scoring.

While Roll had 16 points, sophomore Malcolm Lee and junior Mustafa Abdul-Hamid combined for just five, with Lee scoring only two points on 1-of-9 shooting in 37 minutes.

"Playing point guard did take my scoring a little bit, but that's just all on me - it's not just the position," Lee said. "I've got to learn when to pick my spots when we need a bucket. I needed to score more in this game."

Against the Ducks' aggressive zone defense and full-court trap, Lee simply could not. There was nowhere to go.

Oregon's post players - Jamil Wilson, Jeremy Jacob and Michael Dunigan - denied the paint, and UCLA forwards James Keefe and Reeves Nelson simply could not find any openings.

Keefe made his lone field goal and finished with two points, and Nelson added 11.

"We knew they were going to play that zone, that kind of man-zone like Arizona State," freshman forward Tyler Honeycutt said. "They haven't been using it that long, but it was pretty effective. Better than we expected."

Honeycutt was the lone bright spot for the Bruins, finishing with 13 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and two blocks. But he missed all three of his 3-pointers and Lee missed all five of his.

"I hadn't even noticed that until right now - when you play against a zone you are forced to take outside shots," UCLA coach Ben Howland said.

"When you look at the numbers, both Nikola and Mike shot it well from three, and the rest of the guys did not. We need to keep getting the ball inside."