UCLA men’s basketball is well on its way to securing a first-round bye in next week’s conference tournament after a red-hot first half.
The Bruins shot lights out over the initial period and dominated inside in securing a 46-35 halftime lead over rival USC.
Junior forward/center Tony Parker and freshman forward Kevon Looney collectively delivered perhaps their best 20-minute period of the year. The duo totaled 22 points and 10 rebounds, while sophomore guard Bryce Alford pitched in 15 points of his own.
Both teams attacked inside early, as the first four baskets of the contest came in the paint before Trojans guard Elijah Stewart buried a 3 to put USC up 7-4 early.
UCLA countered with a bucket from Parker inside and a 3 of its own from Looney, before USC answered with another 3 to give the Trojans a 12-9 lead at the first timeout.
The Bruins’ frontcourt duo scored UCLA’s first 15 points of the game, with Parker putting forth a dominant effort. The junior made his first five shots, while topping 10 points and collecting three offensive rebounds by the 13:30 mark. He finished the half with 13 points and five rebounds, four coming on the offensive glass.
Not to be outdone, Alford went on a run of his own. The sophomore guard converted a steal into a layup and down consecutive 3s to put UCLA up 23-15 in a span that covered little more than a minute of play.
Sophomore guard Isaac Hamilton added a 3, while senior guard Norman Powell notched his first bucket during a 19-7 run that saw UCLA hit seven of 9 shots and stretch its lead to 34-19 with 7:25 to play.
After hitting 12 of its first 20, UCLA hit a just two of its next seven, but a stellar effort on the offensive boards coupled with a stingy defense – the Bruins forced nine turnovers – prevented USC from closing the gap despite shooting 54.2 percent.
That is until the final three minutes when the Trojans went on a 7-0 run over 48 seconds to cut the Bruins lead to 41-30 with 2:00 remaining. A little more than a minute later the lead was reduced to eight points after a layup by USC’s Julian Jacobs.
However, UCLA again answered, as Alford knocked in the final basket half of the half – his third 3-pointer – to return the Bruins lead to double digits.
Compiled by Jordan Lee, Bruin Sports senior staff.