Following Thursday’s win over No. 11 Utah, UCLA men’s basketball was on a quest to replicate its high level of play after a disappointing road trip to Oregon last week.
Decked out in throwback uniforms commemorating the 1964-1965 national championship team, UCLA’s first-half performance against Colorado wasn’t exactly championship caliber, but nonetheless another step in the right direction. The Bruins currently lead the Buffaloes 27-23 at halftime.
Like many of UCLA’s opponents this season, Colorado got hot from beyond the arc out of the gate. The Buffaloes hit three of their first four 3-point shots, as their quick ball movement and the Bruins’ slow defensive rotations created open looks.
Per usual, the Bruins’ offense was sluggish to start the game, hitting three of its first nine shots, but trailed just 9-7 after about four minutes. As Colorado cooled down, UCLA began hitting shots of its own, with a putback dunk from senior guard Norman Powell and a corner 3-pointer from sophomore guard Isaac Hamilton, giving UCLA a 12-9 lead at the 13:15 mark of the first period.
The Bruins built on their lead by making things tough on the Buffaloes. Over the next seven minutes, Colorado went one for 10 from the field with only five points. Colorado’s struggles came inside the arc, as it hit just one of eight two-point shots through the first 13 minutes.
Still, UCLA struggled to pull away, as it had its own issues scoring. The Bruins built a five-point lead, but watched it disappear. Colorado sophomore forward Tre’Shaun Fletcher hit a 3-pointer to give the Buffaloes a 21-20 lead with 4:37 remaining in the half. Powell reclaimed the lead for UCLA with a 3-pointer in response.
The ugly half ended with UCLA ahead 27-23 and shooting 40.7 percent, while Colorado shot 30.8 percent.
Powell led the way for the Bruins with seven points on three-of-five shooting. Freshman forward Kevon Looney added six points, six rebounds and three assists.
Compiled by Kevin Bowman, Bruin Sports senior staff.