Bryce Alford, Isaac Hamilton, Tony Parker
Friday, January 15, 2016
Alford Named Pac-12 Player of the Week
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| Bryce Alford averaged 21.5 points in UCLA's two wins last week (photo by Don Liebig) |
UCLA Athletics
JAN 11, 2016 | MEN'S BASKETBALL
By: UCLA Athletics
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SAN FRANCISCO – UCLA junior guard Bryce Alford has earned Pac-12 Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career, the conference office announced Monday.
In UCLA’s two home victories last week, Alford registered 21.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. He shot 55.2 percent from the field, making 8 of 16 shots from 3-point range (50.0 percent).
Alford scored a team-leading 25 points in UCLA’s 87-84 win over No. 7 Arizona in Pauley Pavilion on Thursday evening. He nailed a 3-pointer to break an 84-84 tie with 1.8 seconds remaining in the win over the Wildcats. Two days later, Alford finished with 18 points in UCLA’s 81-74 victory against Arizona State. His 3-pointer with 24 seconds to play helped the Bruins extend their lead to 80-74.
Alford, a 6-foot-3 guard hailing from Albuquerque, N.M., currently ranks third in the Pac-12 in scoring (team-leading 17.4 points per game). He ranks first in the league in free throw percentage (87.5), fourth in assists per game (5.1), fifth in 3-pointers made per game (2.2) and seventh in assist-turnover ratio (2.1). Alford and Oregon State’s Gary Payton II are the league’s only players who currently rank in the top five in both scoring and assists.
UCLA improved to 3-2 against top-25 ranked teams last Thursday with an 87-84 win over No. 7 Arizona.
The Bruins (11-6, 2-2) are back in action against USC (14-3, 3-1) in Pauley Pavilion on Wednesday, Jan. 13. Game time is 8 p.m. UCLA’s game against the Trojans will be nationally televised on ESPN2.
Sunday, January 10, 2016
UCLA sweeps visiting Arizona schools, dowses Sun Devils, 81-74
JAN 09, 2016 | MEN'S BASKETBALL
By: UCLA Athletics
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LOS ANGELES - Isaac Hamilton scored 26 points, and the Bruins hit a pair of 3-pointers in the final 1:10 to help UCLA outlast Arizona State, 81-74, on Saturday afternoon.
With the game tied at 74-74, freshman Aaron Holiday hit a clutch three-pointer with 1:10 remaining to put UCLA ahead, 77-74. After Arizona State’s Kodi Justice missed a 3-point attempt, Bryce Alford drained a three of his own with 24 seconds left, and the Sun Devils missed on a trio of 3-pointers to close the game.
The Bruins (11-6, 2-2 Pac-12) led by as many as 12 points in the first half before the Sun Devils (10-6, 0-3) rallied to tie the game, 33-33, on a 3-pointer by Tra Holder at the 1:23 mark.
UCLA led by one point, 38-37, at halftime.
Arizona State came out strong in the second half, scoring the first six points to lead, 43-38.
The Bruins secured a 59-58 advantage with 9:06 to play on a 3-pointer by Holiday, before ASU used a 7-3 scoring run to move back up by three points, 65-62.
Hamilton brought the Bruins back with a 3-pointer and a jump shot to go ahead, 67-65, with 5:15 to play. ASU again responded by tying the contest, 68-68, on a 3-pointer by Justice with 4:12 on the clock.
The lead switched hands five more times before Holiday’s game-winning 3-pointer.
Hamilton, with 26 points, led four UCLA players who scored in double figures. Alford added 18 points and four assists, Thomas Welsh had 12 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, and Holiday scored 10 points with five assists.
Tony Parker added nine points, eight rebounds and four blocks.
Holder led Arizona State with 26 points, and Justice added 11.
The Bruins will return to action at home versus USC on Wednesday, Jan. 13. Game time in Pauley Pavilion is 8 pm (PT). The Bruins' contest against the Trojans will be nationally televised on ESPN2.
WATCH: Coach Alford Postgame I WATCH: Players Postgame Interviews
UCLA beats #7 Arizona on Westbrook Night 87-84
JAN 07, 2016 | MEN'S BASKETBALL
UCLA Downs Arizona on Alford's Three
By: UCLA Athletics
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LOS ANGELES - Bryce Alford hit a clutch 3-pointer with 1.8 seconds to play to give UCLA an 87-84 victory over No. 7 Arizona in front of 12,026 fans in Pauley Pavilion.
Alford, who finished with a game-high 25 points, made his game-winning shot almost directly in front of UCLA alumnus and NBA All-Star Russell Westbrook on Russell Westbrook Night.
The victory was UCLA’s third over a Top 20 team this season, having already defeated No. 1 Kentucky and No. 20 Gonzaga. UCLA (10-6, 1-2 in the Pac-12) held off a late rally by Arizona, who went on a 15-2 run to tie the game at 83-83 after being down 81-68.
The Bruins had led by as many as 14 points in the second half, going on a 10-0 run to take a 57-43 lead early in the second half thanks to three-pointers by Alford and Isaac Hamilton. The Bruins kept a double-digit lead until the 3:29 mark, when the Wildcats (13-2, 1-1) began to chip away at the lead with their game-tying run.
Arizona tied the game with 42 seconds to play on a layup and free throw by Kadeem Allen for its 10th unanswered point. On the Bruins’ next possession, Hamilton made one of two free throws to regain the lead, 84-83, and Ryan Anderson made one of two for Arizona to tie again, setting up Alford for his heroics.
The Bruins had led for the first 17 minutes of the first half, leading by as many as eight points (30-22) with six minutes to go in the period before Arizona went on a 12-3 run to claim its first lead, 34-33, at the 2:47 mark on a Parker Jackson-Cartwright three-pointer. UCLA closed the half with a 10-2 run thanks to two baskets byTony Parker and a pair of three-pointers by Alford to take a 43-36 lead into halftime.
Four Bruins scored in double-figures – Alford with 25 and six assists, Aaron Holiday with 15 points and six assists, Parker with 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Hamilton with 14 points and six assists. The Bruins made a season-high 11 three-pointers.
UCLA will host Arizona State on Saturday, Jan. 9, at 2 p.m. (PT) in Pauley Pavilion.
UCLA comes up empty in state of Washington, loses to WSU as well 85-78
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| Freshman guard Aaron Holiday finishes with 15 points, 3 assists (3 TO's) and 4 rebounds in loss (photo courtesy of AP) |
Associated Press
JAN 03, 2016 | MEN'S BASKETBALL
No. 25 UCLA Downed by Washington State
By: UCLA Athletics
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PULLMAN, Wash. – A season-high 27 points from Isaac Hamilton wasn’t enough as the UCLA basketball team fell at Washington State, 85-78, on Sunday evening at Beasley Coliseum.
Also setting a season-high in field goals made, Hamilton went 12 for 22 from the floor in the loss. Thomas Welsh picked up his sixth double-double and second in as many games, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
UCLA (9-6, 0-2) started efficiently, knocking down 6-of-9 from the floor to begin the game, capped by anIsaac Hamilton wing three at the 14:20 mark to give UCLA a 14-12 lead. The Bruins extended their margin to 20-16, before Washington State countered with a 12-1 run to capture a seven-point advantage at the 6:50 mark in the first half.
The Bruins were unable to recapture the lead for the remainder of the opening period, trailing by four at the break. Hamilton and Holiday combined to shoot 10 for 14, totaling 23 points, in the first half to lead UCLA. Overall, the Bruins shot 47 percent from the field in the opening half.
Washington State (9-5, 1-1) came out red-hot in the second half, converting 13 of 17 shots from the field, including seven consecutive baskets to extend its lead to 13 points at the 7:02 mark.
UCLA remained behind by double-digits until a late 7-1 run brought the Bruins within six points with under 1:30 to play. The Bruins shot 36 percent in the second half.
Josh Hawkinson finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds to pace the Cougars.
Bruins' freshman guard Aaron Holiday finished in double-digits for UCLA, totaling 15 points.
The Bruins return home to continue Pac-12 play on Thursday, Jan. 7, hosting Arizona in Pauley Pavilion. Game time is 6 p.m. UCLA's game will be nationally televised on ESPN2.
Saturday, January 2, 2016
UCLA Falls to Washington in Double OT 96-93
JAN 01, 2016 | MEN'S BASKETBALL
By: UCLA Athletics
Article Link
SEATTLE - Clutch three-point shooting by Bryce Alford gave UCLA extra life not once but twice, but the magic ended in the second overtime, as Washington claimed victory over the Bruins, 96-93.
Alford, who scored a team-best and season-high 30 points, hit long three-pointers at the end of the second half to send the game into overtime and then did it again at the end of the extra period to send it into double overtime. Alford was one of four Bruins to score in double figures.
Thomas Welsh recorded his second consecutive and fifth double-double of the year with 19 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. Isaac Hamilton had 15 points, and Tony Parker had 11 points with nine rebounds.
UCLA (9-5, 0-1 in the Pac-12) led by as many as 10 points in the first half, taking a 22-12 lead on a second-chance layup by Hamilton after an Alford steal and a 31-21 lead with 3:12 to play in the half on a Welsh jumper.
The Huskies (9-4, 1-0), however, closed the half on a 7-2 run to make it a five-point UCLA lead at the half, 33-28. The Bruins limited Washington to 27% shooting from the field (8-30) in the half and forced 12 turnovers but shot just 32% themselves with 11 turnovers.
Foul trouble plagued UCLA in the second half, as both Welsh and Jonah Bolden picked up their fourth fouls just two and a half minutes into the period. Washington took advantage, claiming the lead, 37-36, on a Matisse Thybulle basket and free throw at 15:58. The Huskies were in the bonus when Alex Olesinski picked up his third foul at 15:36, and the Huskies continued to build their lead to five points, 41-36, to cap an 11-0 run.
Washington ran into foul trouble of its own, with Marquese Chriss fouling out with 10 minutes to play and sending Parker to the line, where he made one free throw to cut the Huskies' lead to three, 49-46. A basket by Alford with 4:37 to play pulled UCLA to within two, 62-60, and a Welsh dunk with 3:03 to play tied the game.
With the game tied again at 64-64 with 1:36 to play, Malik Dime picked up his fifth foul, sending Welsh to the line, where he made one of two shots to reclaim the lead. Washington answered, though, with an alley-oop dunk by Thybulle and a three by Andrew Andrews to lead 69-65 lead with 32 seconds left, but Alford raced back with a three-pointer 10 seconds later to cut the lead to one. After a pair of free throws by Andrews, Alford hit another long three with seven seconds to play to tie at 71-71, and Dejounte Murray's shot at the buzzer fell short, sending the game to overtime.
UCLA and Washington went back and forth in the overtime period, but a three-pointer by Thybulle with 1:32 to play gave the Huskies the lead, and free throws by Andrew Andrews put the Huskies ahead 83-80. But Alford struck again with another three-pointer with 16 seconds left to send the game to a second overtime.
In the second overtime, Washington took control after Andrews made a three-pointer and then a steal and dunk to give the Huskies a five-point lead with 2:05 to play. Hamilton had a chance to tie again with eight seconds left, but his driving layup did not fall, and the Huskies rebounded and made one of two foul shots. The Bruins grabbed the rebound on the missed foul shot, and Alford was fouled before having a chance to make a third tying three-pointer. Alford made the first shot and tried to miss the second, but it fell through, and the Bruins were forced to foul. Andrews made both shots with 0.7 seconds left to clinch the win and close his stat line with a game-high 35 points.
The Bruins will next play at Washington State on Sunday, Jan. 3 at 6:30 pm. The game will be televised live on Pac-12 Networks.
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