Center Kevin Love was the only UCLA player to make a 3-pointer in Sunday’s game, the last time forward Josh Shipp hit a 3 was Jan. 31, and the Bruins are currently ninth in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage.
No. 6 UCLA’s recent struggles from downtown are representative of an overall offensive slump the Bruins have been experiencing. But even while coach Ben Howland’s team has had more trouble getting shots to fall, it hasn’t had more trouble getting wins.
Other than the loss at Washington, UCLA has been on a tear, keeping a half-game lead in the conference with a win at USC, despite a rough shooting performance.
The reason Howland’s team has been able to weather the shooting draught is no surprise: strong defense.
“That’s why you have to be a good defensive team,” Howland said. “Some games you’re not going to have your shots fall for you, and defense always gives you a chance, ultimately, to be successful.”
On Sunday, the Bruins’ offensive statistics were not what one would expect to see with a win. They were just 2 for 10 from 3-point range with Love’s contributions and were far below their season average from the field.
UCLA is fifth in the conference, shooting 48.1 percent from the field, but at the Galen Center, the team went just 21 for 62, good enough for 33.9 percent.
“We win games really on the defensive end,” Love said. “I think we did that, shooting (34) percent at USC. … If we shoot (34) percent and we can win, we’re a special team.”
The Bruins were able to get the season split with the Trojans by playing stout defense and creating a lot of turnovers.
While their defensive style as of late has allowed teams to hit a higher percentage of shots, opponents have been coughing up the ball more, evening things out for the Bruins.
With sophomore Russell Westbrook following freshman O.J. Mayo everywhere he went, Mayo had 10 turnovers, part of his team’s 22 on the night.
“We missed some open shots and we expended a lot of energy winning the defensive battle,” Howland said. “Really how we won was the fact that we forced 12 more turnovers than we had, 22-10.”
With the loss of guard Arron Afflalo to the NBA after last season, it would not have been a shock if UCLA’s defense took a hit. But the recipe for keeping the defense strong is simple.
“You’ve got to have Russell Westbrook,” guard Darren Collison said. “That’s what you need. He came in the nick of time, he’s took on the challenge, and he’s been guarding the best offensive player all along.
“When we have a guy that takes on the challenge like that, it fills in for (Afflalo’s) shoes.”
MBAH A MOUTE ON THE MEND: In his first game back from injury, forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute had a strong performance, surprising many by playing 33 minutes. Mbah a Moute registered a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds and has continued healing after the game.
“(The) trainer saw him this morning as well as yesterday after the game,” Howland said. “He felt good today. We were encouraged by that. It was a bit of good news. … He had a little swelling still. He needs to practice in the next couple of days just to get his timing back, especially at the offensive end.”
LOVE IN PAULEY: Love is looking forward to the opportunity to play the Oregon schools at home where the crowd will be a little more supportive.
In Oregon, Love experienced a less-than-cordial welcome on his return to his home state, and he now looks forward to the crowd being on his side.
“I know I got the UCLA Den on my side, our fan base,” Love said. “So that’s going to be a lot of fun to see what they do to support us. We’ve got to approach those games the way we did up in Oregon, and hopefully we’ll have the same outcome.”