It was the same story for the UCLA men’s basketball team on Saturday morning: The Bruins got off to a blazing start, but cooled off a bit as the first half wore on.
At halftime, No. 22 UCLA (8-3) is tied with No. 11 North Carolina (8-2), 38-38, after the Bruins led by as many as 11 points with 10:45 to go in the first half.
The game started off much like the game against Gonzaga a week ago, with junior guard Isaac Hamilton raining in 3-pointers to start the game. Hamilton made all four of his 3-point attempts in the first six minutes, giving UCLA a 16-9 lead at the 14:38 mark of the first period. As a whole, UCLA shot 6-for-10 on 3-pointers in the first half, while North Carolina shot just 1-for-11 from distance.
With the Tar Heels struggling from 3-point range, they became more aggressive – both offensively and defensively – and pushed the ball in transition whenever possible. North Carolina drew 12 trips to the foul line in the first half – making nine of those free-throw attempts – and had eight transition points in the first half, as UCLA struggled to get back on defense.
Another problem for UCLA was turnovers. As the Tar Heels upped the pressure on the perimeter, the Bruins began to throw the ball away, committing a total of 11 turnovers in the first half. North Carolina, by comparison, only had three turnovers. UCLA freshman forward Alex Olesinski was personally responsible for three of UCLA’s 11 turnovers, throwing the ball away three times.
Heading into the second half, UCLA has a couple foul issues to address. Senior forward/center Tony Parker has two fouls and sophomore center Thomas Welsh has three. That duo combined for 13 points on 6-for-9 shooting and 11 rebounds in the first half, but will be limited in playing time if foul trouble persists.
Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports senior staff.