Following Butler’s upset of No. 5 North Carolina, UCLA men’s basketball took the court in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas. The No. 22 Bruins trail the Oklahoma Sooners 32-27 at halftime.
After falling behind 5-0 to start the game, UCLA scored nine straight to take an early lead.
While the UCLA offense struggled early, shooting under 38 percent through the first eight minutes, Oklahoma had even more severe offensive problems. The Sooners shot just 15.4 percent through that same stretch, settling mostly for long jump shots.
But as Oklahoma began to make some 3-pointers and UCLA continued to miss shots, the score began to even out. The Sooners went on an 8-0 run to take a 16-15 lead with just under 10 minutes remaining in the half.
Oklahoma added to that lead with more 3-pointers, finishing the half shooting 5-22 from behind the arc.
UCLA outshot Oklahoma from the field – UCLA shot 30 percent compared to Oklahoma’s 26 percent – but the Bruins’ lack of three-pointers and missed free throws held them back.
UCLA made just one 3-pointer compared to Oklahoma’s five, and it hit just six of 14 free throws, leaving eight points at the line.
Compiled by Kevin Bowman, Bruin Sports senior staff.