Stanford — Needing a win to move into a tie for third place in the Pac-12, UCLA men’s basketball set itself up well to accomplish that, as it leads Stanford 31-25 at halftime.
After dominating inside during the two teams’ last meeting, the Bruins looked to get the ball into the paint early this time around as well. However, after scoring on their first two possessions, the Bruins’ touch around the basket cooled some, allowing the Cardinal to take an early 8-4 lead.
A 3-pointer from sophomore guard Isaac Hamitlon and a layup by junior forward/center Tony Parker allowed UCLA to regain a 9-8 lead just moments later. Still, the Bruins’ shooting got off to yet another slow start. Through the first 10 minutes, UCLA was shooting just 29.4 percent, holding a 15-11 lead only because Stanford was even colder, shooting 28.6 percent.
From the 13:30 mark to the 7:01 mark, UCLA and Stanford combined to shoot 2-20. The basket that ended that stretch was more of a fluke than anything. With time running down on the shot clock, sophomore guard Bryce Alford launched a desperate 3-pointer from around 30 feet out and drained it.
Stanford center Stefan Nastic followed with a layup, then Hamilton hit another 3-pointer, completing a 33-second stretch that had included more points than the previous six minutes.
UCLA built its lead to double digits a minute and a half later, leading 26-15 with 4:45 left in the half after a pair of baskets from senior guard Norman Powell and Hamilton.
By the 3:29 mark, that lead had grown to 15 after Alford buried another 3-pointer, but the Cardinal quickly trimmed it down to 11 after two scores in response.
Stanford continued its run, cutting the lead down to six with under a minute remaining after a 3-pointer from Anthony Brown. The big lead the Bruins built had all but disappeared after the Cardinal’s 10-0 run to close out the half, but UCLA still leads 31-25 at the break.
Hamilton led the Bruins in scoring in the first half with 12 points and three 3-pointers. Powell added six rebounds and three assists. Defensively, UCLA held Stanford senior guard Chasson Randle, who has scored 20 or more points in his past six games, to just four points.
Compiled by Kevin Bowman, Bruin Sports senior staff.