Ducks Downed by Bruins in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES — Oregon men's basketball hung tough against the No. 21 ranked UCLA Bruins, but a slow second half led to UCLA's 65-56 victory.
 
Oregon led by as many as seven points in the contest and held the lead at half, but UCLA stormed out of the halftime break to close the gap and take the lead. From there, the Bruins would only relinquish the lead one more time before pulling away in the final minutes.
 
How It Happened: Both teams started the game locked in on the defensive end and the trend continued through the first half. Oregon got out to an early 12-6 lead behind seven early points from Quincy Guerrier. The defensive battle then continued as the teams traded possessions and occasional baskets. At the under-eight media timeout, the Ducks held a 16-15 advantage after Kel'el Ware's strong finish put UO back out front. Oregon's six-point run gave the Ducks their largest lead of the game, a 24-17 advantage. After trading a couple more baskets and free throws, Oregon went into the halftime break with a 27-21 lead.
 
UCLA turned things around in the second half, starting with a 14-7 run to take the lead early in the half. Oregon struggled from the field in the second half but battled throughout. The Ducks then went on an 11-7 run to take a 47-44 lead. It proved to be the Ducks last lead of the game as the Bruins hot shooting sustained through the rest of the half. The shorthanded Oregon squad would battle until the final seconds but came up short.
 
Who Stood Out: Guerrier led the team with 15 points (6-13 FG), with Richardson adding 13 points and five assists. Lok Wur grabbed a career-best six rebounds.
 
Up Next: The Ducks host Nevada on December 10 at 4 p.m. in Matthew Knight Arena.