Snapshot: No. 7 UCLA 68, CU Buffs MBB 54
Turning level: CU led by 9 with 10 minutes, 21 seconds remaining, however UCLA scored the subsequent 17 factors whereas compiling a 24-3 run.
Buff of the sport: KJ Simpson. It wasn’t an incredible sport for the sophomore level guard, who went 5-for-15 with 4 turnovers whereas having three of his photographs blocked. But he scored a team-high 17 factors, including 5 factors and three assists.
What’s subsequent?: The Buffs will try and regroup at dwelling once they host Washington on Thursday (7 p.m., ESPNU).
LOS ANGELES — It was in no way a picturesque upset bid. But it was one the Colorado males’s basketball staff nonetheless had nicely inside its grasp.
At the least till the seventh-ranked UCLA Bruins got here out of hibernation to bury the Buffaloes in a rush.
Thwarted as soon as once more by their very own turnovers, CU was dominated by the Bruins over the ultimate 10 minutes, as UCLA handed the Buffs a 68-54 defeat in a Pac-12 Convention battle at Pauley Pavilion. It was UCLA’s thirteenth consecutive victory and its sixth previously seven video games towards Colorado. It was CU’s sixteenth consecutive loss towards a ranked foe in true highway video games.
Two days after committing 22 turnovers at USC, the Buffs recorded 23 at UCLA, resulting in a 25-6 benefit for the Bruins in factors off turnovers. Very like the USC loss, the Buffs’ protection and rebounding have been adequate to win on the highway, however the giveaways have been far an excessive amount of to beat.
It marked the primary time in seven years the Buffs have dedicated at the very least 20 turnovers in consecutive video games.
“The harder staff gained. UCLA was the harder staff, particularly the final 10 minutes of the sport,” CU head coach Tad Boyle mentioned. “While you get able to play UCLA, you recognize you’re in for a fistfight. And so they completely abused us on the boards within the second half. Our protection was adequate to win tonight. However our rebounding wasn’t adequate and clearly 23 turnovers, one other season-high after setting a season-high towards SC the opposite night time. They have been the harder staff.”
The Buffs led all through an nearly 20-minute stretch from late within the first half till the halfway level of the second half, taking a nine-point lead on a 3-point play from KJ Simpson with 10 minutes, 21 seconds remaining. But CU solely related on another subject objective the remainder of the best way, and that didn’t arrive till greater than 9 minutes later after the Bruins asserted management.
UCLA responded to Simpson’s 3-point play by scoring 17 consecutive factors in what was a 24-3 run for the Bruins. UCLA grabbed 18 offensive rebounds, probably the most by a CU foe this season, and turned these additional probabilities right into a 14-1 edge in second probability factors regardless of 14 offensive rebounds for the Buffs. The Bruins additionally recorded 11 blocked photographs after USC blocked 9 of CU’s photographs on Thursday.
UCLA entered the sport because the Pac-12’s high 3-point capturing staff however missed its first 15 makes an attempt from lengthy vary. But the Bruins recovered when it mattered, going 4-for-4 down the stretch. The Bruins outrebounded CU 22-16 within the second half.
CU completed with a season-low capturing proportion of .306 and had a season-low eight assists.
“After we obtained our protection set, I believed it was fairly dang good,” Boyle mentioned. “I believed we battled and competed. However early within the second half it was evident they wished to greater than we did on the glass. They only beasted us. We weren’t powerful sufficient to complete possessions with rebounds within the second half, and that was the distinction within the sport. That, and the turnovers.”
Largely as a result of turnovers, the Buffs didn’t have anybody to depend on offensively. Simpson completed with a team-high 17 factors, however went 5-for-15 with 4 turnovers. J’Vonne Hadley matched a season-high with 10 rebounds, however he completed 1-for-8 and had 4 of his shot makes an attempt blocked. Tristan da Silva’s highway struggles continued (2-for-6, 10 factors, three turnovers with no assists), and Nique Clifford scored solely 5 factors with out a rebound in 18 minutes.
“It was simply turnovers and offensive rebounds for them,” Simpson mentioned. “The numbers don’t lie. The statistics don’t lie. We had 23 turnovers. It’s onerous to win when you’ve got these sorts of stats.”
No. 7 UCLA 68, Colorado 54
COLORADO (11-8, 3-5 Pac-12)
da Silva 2-6 4-4 10, Lovering 1-1 1-1 3, Clifford 2-5 1-2 5, Hadley 1-8 1-2 3, Simpson 5-15 6-7 17, O’Brien 2-4 0-0 5, Ruffin 2-7 7-7 11, Hammond 0-1 0-0 0, Wright 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 15-49 20-23 54.
UCLA (16-2, 7-0)
Bona 2-4 5-7 9, Campbell 4-15 2-2 11, Clark 5-10 6-9 18, Singleton 2-9 3-4 7, Jaquez 11-23 0-1 23, McClendon 0-0 0-0 0, Andrews 0-2 0-1 0, Nwuba 0-0 0-0 0, Etienne 0-0 0-0 0, Canka 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-63 16-24 68.
Halftime — Colorado 31-28. 3-point objectives — Colorado 4-14 (da Silva 2-4, O’Brien 1-1, Simpson 1-4, Hammond 0-1, Wright 0-1, Ruffin 0-3), UCLA 4-19 (Clark 2-4, Jaquez 1-2, Campbell 1-6, Andrews 0-1, Singleton 0-6). Rebounds — Colorado 39 (Hadley 10), UCLA 39 (Jaquez 13). Assists — Colorado 8 (Simpson 3), UCLA 10 (Clark 4). Complete Fouls — Colorado 16, UCLA 20. A — 8,106.
