CORVALLIS, Ore. — Though the score might suggest otherwise, it’s not so much that UCLA is pounding Oregon State. It’s more that the Beavers are really struggling.
UCLA is up 37-22 at the half against Oregon State in a game filled with turnovers, sloppy passes, and poor shot selection. The Beavers shot seven-for-30 from the field in the first half for a 23 percent clip that looked as bad as it sounds.
Junior guard Lazeric Jones bounced back from a zero-for-seven shooting performance against USC to lead UCLA with nine points on three-of-four shooting. Nearly everyone has contributed to the to the Bruins’ 37 first-half points, including freshman forward Tyler Lamb and sophomore forward Brendan Lane, who both have buckets.
But the Bruins have struggled at times against the Beaver 2-3 zone, allowing the shot clock to wind down and forcing several poor shots.
Freshman center Josh Smith, who fouled out against USC and was reprimanded today by the Pac-10 for criticizing the officials, did not start and picked up a foul almost immediately after entering the game at the 14:26 mark. His early foul was his only of the half.